Co Loa Festival Cultural Week 2025 runs from February 3 to 16, after the traditional Vietnamese Tet holiday, with many unique cultural and sports activities, attracting tens of thousands of locals and tourists.

One of the oldest in Vietnam, the Co Loa Festival is held by the 12 hamlets of Co Loa Commune in Hanoi's outskirts Dong Anh District, about 17 kilometers northwest of the city center. It is meant to pay tribute to King An Duong Vuong, founder of the ancient Vietnamese kingdom of Au Lac, who led the fight against foreign enemies and ruled the country for 50 years in the 3rd century BC.

Sacrifice ceremony, the most important ritual of the annual Co Loa Festival in honor of King An Duong Vuong, who founded the Co Loa Citadel of the Au Lac Kingdom some 2,300 years ago. Photos: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times

According to To Anh Duy, Chairman of the Co Loa Commune People's Committee, the festival serves as a guardian of traditional Vietnamese cultural values, ensuring their transmission to future generations. Besides honoring the legacy of King An Duong Vuong, the festival upholds folk traditions by showcasing elaborate rituals, distinctive costumes, traditional music, captivating water puppets, and engaging traditional games.

The Co Loa Festival aims to preserve many historical values from the era of King An Duong Vuong. Recognizing its profound significance, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism declared it a National Intangible Cultural Heritage on February 3, 2021.

In keeping with the city's "Bright - Green - Clean - Beautiful" campaign, Duy stressed that this year's celebration is being organized in a systematic and orderly manner, contributing to promoting the country's traditional cultural values and educating the Vietnamese people about their patriotism.

To the present day, the customs and rituals of the festival are still practiced.

During the festival, the village streets come alive with flags, processions and palanquins, creating a vibrant scene under the spring sky. The festivities include various traditional games played throughout the village and various folk performances.

The water puppet and Quan Ho singing performances at Gieng Ngoc in the village center are the centerpiece of the event. Villagers divide into male and female groups on dragon boats, engage in animated duets, and sing songs about the community's rich cultural heritage.

The festival underscores the importance of remembering one's cultural roots and reinforces a shared commitment to preserving the nation's rich history and traditions.

At the festival's opening ceremony, Nguyen Thi Tam, Vice Chairwoman of Dong Anh People's Committee, recalled that 2,300 years ago, King An Duong Vuong established the capital of Au Lac Kingdom in Co Loa Citadel after leading the resistance war against over 50,000 Qin soldiers.

Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, and leaders of the Dong Anh District People's Committee offer incense at the Co Loa National Special Relic Site during the festival.

The Co Loa Citadel is the oldest structure in Vietnam, whose name, "Co Loa", comes from the Sino-Vietnamese language and translates as "ancient spiral" due to the spiral design of the building.

"For the younger generation, the festival provides a unique opportunity to learn about the profound contributions of their ancestors, fostering a deeper appreciation and commitment to preserving Vietnam's patriotic traditions. In this way, it becomes an educational channel, imparting knowledge about the country's heritage and offering insights into its historical tapestry," Tam said.

She added that this is one of the most valuable historical sites with unique architecture and also an important archaeological site in the country. "Co Loa Citadel has become a symbol of Vietnam's proud ancient civilization. Together with the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Co Loa Citadel is believed to represent the thousand-year history of the nation," Tam stressed.

Co Loa villagers take part in a procession to the temple for the special ritual of the sacrifice ceremony. Villagers are heading to the temple to perform the special ritual during the Co Loa Festival.

Numerous locals and tourists attend the Co Loa Festival Cultural Week 2025.

Members of the Co Loa Commune Youth Union are part of the procession as tourist guides.

Human chess tournament, a traditional beauty that attracts a lot of chess players.

Human chess "pieces" in play.

Wrestling, one of the activities that is a major tourist attraction during the festival.

Swing game, a traditional game preserved to this day and rarely seen at village festivals.