Thousands celebrate Dong Da festival
Thousands of Hanoians and visitors took part in Hanoi’s Dong Da festival on February 4, marking Vietnamese people’s 1789 victory over the Chinese Qing invaders.
The festival commemorates King Quang Trung (Nguyen Hue) who led his Tay Son guerrilla forces from Hue (in the central region) to Thang Long Citadel (now Hanoi in the north) to defeat 200,000 soldiers of the Chinese Qing dynasty in spring 1789.
Dong Da Hill in Hanoi was said to witness fierce battles between King Quang Trung’s soldiers and the Chinese invaders on the fifth day of the first lunar month.
The annual event started with incense offerings and processions in commemoration of King Quang Trung who later became Emperor and the Tay Son soldiers.
It was followed by a series of cultural, artistic, and sport activities, as well as martial art performances depicting the victory 225 years ago.
