Elephant procession festival in Phu Tho

Thanh Thuy district in Phu Tho province attracts tourists with its beautiful landscapes and unique wet rice civilization festivals. The Dao Xa elephant procession festival is one of the biggest there. Taking place from the 27th to the 29th day of the first lunar month, the Dao Xa elephant procession festival draws a large number of visitors. Worshiping feasts and fruits trays are carefully prepared. On a bronze tray, fruits are arranged in a 1-meter high 9-layer pyramid decorated with flowers. The feasts include sticky rice, boiled chicken, sweet bean cakes, and honey cakes. Nguyen Van Tiet, a Dao Xa resident said, “It’s necessary to keep the low heat and a slower boil. It takes 6 to 7 hours to boil the chicken and you need to keep the boiling water not too hot. By so doing, the chicken will be well cooked and its skins will not be torn.” The solemn ritual ceremony expresses people’s gratitude to the village genie, Hung Hai Cong, who, according to legend, was a younger brother of the 18th Hung King and the lord of Dao Xa, Hung Hoa, and Tho Xuyen districts. He helped the local people improve their crop irrigation to produce bumper crops. He married and had 3 children who later replaced him as governors of the three districts. Tran Van Sang, the current head of the elephant procession ceremony said “After wiping out the enemy, Hung Hai Cong received 2 pairs of elephants as gifts from the Hung King.

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