Traditional rice cooking festival in Hanoi enthralls locals and tourists

Held on the 8th day of the first Lunar month, this traditional festival commemorates the merits of the late General Phan Tay Nhac, a distinguished military leader during the reign of the 18th Hung King.

The selected participants are divided into four teams, each dressed in a different color, to compete in four events: firewood gathering, sprinting, rice pounding, and rice cooking. 

The cooked rice is then presented outside the village communal house for public judging in front of the villagers and participating team members. Once cooked, the rice pots are offered as a tribute to the village patron.

The event draws a large number of locals and tourists. Photos: Ngoc Tu/The Hanoi Times The competing teams are divided into four teams, each dressed in a different color.  Traditional farming tools, such as wooden pestles and stone mortars, are numbered and assigned to each team.

At precisely 11 o'clock, the firewood gathering ritual commences, featuring bundles of dry grass meticulously arranged alongside seasoned bamboo, pre-punched holes, and a sturdy bamboo stick with two handles at each end.

Women of the teams meticulously removed husks before cooking rice over the freshly lit flames.

Once cleaned, the rice is cooked within the competition timeframe.

Once cooked, elderly community leaders meticulously inspect the quality of each pot before offering it to the village's tutelary deity.

After a thorough inspection by respected community elders to ensure quality, the rice pots are offered as a tribute to the village patron.