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The Cao Bang Firecracker Festival is associated with the ancient Bach Linh Temple. Dating back to the Ly Dynasty, Bach Linh Temple is a place of worship for 100 sacred things, headed by the dragon (one of the four sacred creatures: Dragon, Kylin, Turtle, Phoenix). Therefore, the first ritual is the consecration and opening of the dragon's eyes.
Every year, the firecracker festival in Quang Uyen town is held from the afternoon of the 30th day of the first lunar month until the end of the 2nd day of the second lunar month. It is not only to commemorate the deities and national heroes who contributed to the country, but also to mark the beginning of a new year, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and prosperity.
The People's Committee of Quang Hoa district, Cao Bang province, held a ceremony on March 4th to receive the Certificate recognizing the Firecracker Fighting Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. (Photo: Internet)
The Firecracker Painting Festival is celebrated with many unique rituals such as the opening of the dragon's eyes, the feast for the troops, the worship of the gods, and the procession of the gods. The highlights of the festival are the dragon dances, lion dances, and the firecracker painting, as the festival's name suggests.
The firecracker head is an iron ring wrapped with colorful tassels placed on a high platform. After the firecracker is lit, the head falls down, and teams from the villages register to snatch it. Whoever manages to grab it then offers it to the gods and receives a reward. Since the custom of lighting firecrackers has been abandoned, the master of ceremonies will stand on a high platform and throw the firecracker head down into the courtyard where the snatching takes place.
Local people believe that whoever catches the firecracker ring during the festival will have good luck and prosperity all year round. After the firecracker ring-catching game, there are folk games such as dragon dance, unicorn dance, throwing the ball, folk singing, swinging, traditional martial arts performances, chess, football, and art exhibitions...
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Firecracker Festival only included the ceremonial opening of the dragon's eyes, and the main festival activities were not held.
