%%Hà B?c is a province in Red River Delta. Its provincial capital is B?c Ninh. There are three distinctive areas : Lowland, hill and forested mountainous area. Hà B?c is famous for its historic and cultural attractions. Here are located such famous pagodas and temples as Bút Tháp Pagoda, Tiên Son Temple, Ðình B?ng communal temple, Th? Hà village festivals, folk song and dance festivals which are usually organized in spring and autumn. Statistics reveal that in the old days, up to 80 festivals were organized in Ðình B?ng village in a year. Hà B?c is also famous for the making of many handicraft and fine art articles. These traditional occupations include wood carving, lacquering, bronze casting.. Hà B?c was the first place where Buddhism was introduced in the country more than 2,000 years ago. These are some tourist attractions of Hà B?c : %%* Bút Tháp Pagoda is also called Ninh Phúc. It was built in the reign of King Tr?n Thánh Tôn (1258-1278). The architectural design was made after an ancient architectural design known as N?i Công Ngo?i Qu?c. It houses many examples of wood carvings which are said to be typical of the traditional Vietnamese art of wood carving and sculpture. Some splendid works of art are housed in the pagoda including the statue of Buddha with one thousand hands and one thousand eyes, and a statue of Tây Thiên Ðông Ðô Vietnam. Besides them, there are some 90 carvings and bass reliefs on the walls of the towers and corridors. These stone carvings depict topics of everyday life in traditional Vietnamese society. %%* Dau Pagoda is located in Dau hamlet, Thanh Khuong village, Thuan Thanh district. Even centuries BC (Before Christ), the Dau area had gained a repute extending beyond the national boundary, for being one of major Buddhist centres in the region. The most valuable work of art in the pagoda is a giant statue of Pháp Vân in meditation on a lotus flower. The statue is nearly two metres high. *Ðình B?ng communal temple (Tiên Son district) is considered to be one of most beautiful and magnificent village temples in the country. It is located in Ðình B?ng village in Tiên Son district, just 15km east of Hà N?i. The roof structure is made entirely of rare wood with many beautiful carvings depicting rare and legendary animals and plants such as phoenixes, dragons, pine trees, chrysanthemum plants, peach trees as well as objects such as wine bottles and sabres. The whole structure is supported by 60 columns, all made from ironwood. The village temple is dedicated to three gods: God of Earth, God of Water and God of Crops. In addition, villagers also make offering of fruits and flowers to six other deities who contributed to the establishment of the Dinh Bang village in the 15th century. *Th? Hà village is well known for its production of pottery. Pottery making in Th? Hà village can be traced back to the 15th century. Th? Hà pottery products are said to be very durable. The main material used in the making of pottery in Th? Hà is a special clay taken from local submerged rice fields. The clay has either a slight violet blue or bright brown colour. The treatment of clay is very meticulous. A pile of compressed clay is submerged in water for a while before being grated into small pieces which are then mixed and stirred thoroughly to become a very pliable material. With such processes preserved in the production of pottery, Th? Hà products are famous for their durability and beautiful shapes. * Ðông H? Folk Drawing Village : Painters from Ho village do not always draw pictures of still life. They also introduce into their paintings scenes of daily activities of villagers, traders and artisans, topics usually taken from rural scenes. Human characters painted include wrestlers, teachers and even the newly graduated doctor returning home from the court examination. Several folk paintings of Ho painters, which have long been regarded as part of Vietnam's traditional treasures, include : H?ng D?a (Coconut Catching), Ðánh Ghen (Jealousy Fight), T? N? (A Maiden). *Lady Chua Kho Temple : This temple is the place to commemorate an anonymous heroine of the 11th century. The lady had been attributed great merit for keeping intact a military food reserve and organizing people to reclaim waste land in order to grow food crops. She was said to have helped feed the hungry population and provided sufficient food to the army, thereby contributing much to the victory over the T?ng army on Nhu Nguyet River in 1076. This temple is among the memorial projects built to commemorate the victory on the Nhu Nguyet River under the leadership of National Hero Lý Thu?ng Ki?t. The great contributions of Lady Chua Kho were recognised by feudal courts through the temple "Chua Kho Linh Tu" (Sacred Temple of Lady Chua Kho). %%*Ðình B?ng - Land of civilization In the land of Kinh B?c (Hà B?c province), there was a river called Tuong Tu said to be a thousand years old. For generations, it has featured in grandma's fairy-tales and mother's lullabies. But even older than the river and much more than a thousand years was a village of the ancient Vi?t people called C? Pháp. There used to be lots of bang-tree (sugar-plum) in the village, so it became known as the Bang village. Initially, Bang village which is 20 km north of Hà N?i in the province of Hà B?c was a busy trading centre. Everyone knew the history of the place as it was once the holy land of Nhà H?u Lý for the entire 216 year history of their reign (1010-1225). Most of the relics of Nhà H?u Lý were found around this area, in places such as the Huong Tam Pagoda where the first king Lý Công žân (1010-1028) was born; at the Kim Dai Pagoda where Ly Thanh Mau is worshipped; at the R?ng Temple (Dragon Temple) built in memory of Lý Chiêu Hoàng (1224-1225); at Tho Lang Thien Duc - the mausoleums of the Lý kings; at the Temple of Ðình B?ng, a famous architectural compound and at the Temple of Do where 8 kings of Nhà H?u Lý are worshipped. Not very far from here are the three temples of Ph?t Tích, Lim and Tam Son in Tiên Son district, they are of major historical significance and also popular tourist attractions. Bang or C? Pháp village was later renamed Ðình B?ng. It was considered to be one of the most civilized places in Northern Vietnam (Tonkin). From time immemorial, Ðình B?ng has been known for the production of lacquerware, wood-carvings and icons for worship. It is also known as a land of festivities, the village celebrates around 80 festivals per year. Another popular attraction is its silk industry, the quality of the silk produced is excellent. Silk and cloth dying is yet another business to be found here. Silk from Hà Ðông is also brought here for dying before being distributed to almost every corner of the country. The village supplies dark-brown cloth to umbrella makers and to tailors who make the clothes for the servants in worshipping ceremonies. Women of Ðình B?ng are renowned for being highly responsible and intelligent. The men usually take care of the crops and handicrafts while most businesses are left in the womens' capable hands. One result of this is that some children commonly have six or seven foster parents since their real parents prefer to hire somebody to take care of their children, so they can devote more time and effort to their business interests. Many people of Ðình B?ng have left in search of a better life to L?ng Son and Cà Mau, some have emigrated to places like America, Thailand, Laos, France and Korea... The present cultural lifestyle of the village was developed quite early. During the 1930s-40s, there were two theatres for chèo and tu?ng (both forms of traditional operas) and a "th?y dình" or pool-cum-theatre at the Temple of Do where water-puppet shows and "quan h?" (a type of local folklore) were performed. Most of the village roads and pathways were bricked. With no electricity available at the time, the whole village was illuminated by octagonal lanterns at night. The people of Ðình B?ng still practise and maintain many of their traditions. Out of a population 12000, the village has sent 4200 to various schools and colleges throughout Vietnam or abroad. Twelve of them have become PhDs and 50 became Masters of Arts or Science. Many of them have ascended to important posts in the government and various research centres. Thirty five families already own cars and 300 have private telephone connections. Other consumer products like TVs and motorcycles are now everyday artefacts. There are ten private companies operating successfully here. Lying right on the door-step of Hà N?i, Ðình B?ng bears both the generosity of the land of Kinh B?c and the heroic spirit of the thousand-year old Thang Long, a real combination for wealth, historical richness and diversity. One could not find anyone here who could not sing the famous local folklores of "quan h?". Many people of Ðình B?ng are called "anh Hai", "ch? Hai" or li?n anh, li?n ch? (skilled singers). Having visited the historical monuments and temples, one could call on any family for tea and for a special performance by the hosts of the "quan h?" songs in their raw simplicity. A "ch? Hai" would be charming wearing her traditional dress, offering some betel-nut preparation and saying : "Please have some tea and betel-nuts to celebrate this surprise visit". The sounds of various traditional musical instruments would follow her singing. It is hard to forget such an emotional experience for our hearts! To stay or to leave is always a difficult decision "Darling, please don't go. If you go, I'll be very lonely. I'll miss you, I'll wait for you...". With such traditions, we can feel the hospitality of the people of Ðình B?ng. They would try to keep their visitors not only in person but also in their hearts and minds. This sentiment is also shown to ones far away from home by the family. That is part of the beauty of life, the secret of this land that brings the village's sons and daughters back home after 8 centuries of migration. In 1994, during the 1020 birth anniversary of King Lý Thái T?, a foreigner made a surprise pilgrimage back to the village. With deep respect, he knelt before the relics of Nhà H?u Lý and prayed. That man was Ly Xuong Can, the 8th generation of a Ly prince who migrated to Korea 8 centuries ago. Following his foot-step, many of the Lý family members have also returned to this place to pay respect to their native village. The people of Ðình B?ng have received them with all their hearts like long lost relatives. The village's festival falls in the 3rd Lunar Month every year, and then people would sit together for black-rice wine and cakes. (VNS) %%*LIM FESTIVAL - THE SPRING CULTURE OF KINH BÀC The Festival of Lim is held every year on the 13th of the First Lunar Month at Lim village in Lung Giang, Tiên Son district of Hà B?c province, 40 km north of Hà N?i. This area was once called 'Kinh B?c' meaning 'at the north of the ancient capital'. There is a hill in the village upon which a temple stands in the deep shadow of an old banyan tree. The story goes that once there was a woman named 'Mu A' from Due Dong who came here and decided to devote the rest of her life to religious practices. As time passed, she obtained magical powers that enabled her to call up the rain and wind. In times of drought, villagers would request her to call on the much needed rain for the crops. In memory of her deeds, the villagers decided to make her their local god and hold a festival on her death anniversary. Thus the Lim Festival came into being. During the festival of Lim, many kinds of entertainment and cultural competitions that have a bearing on the local way of life are held. Among them are chess, swinging, swimming, wooden horse show, rice-cooking competition, handloom weaving competition etc. But the central focus of the whole festival is on Quan H?, a form of performing art based on folklore among the locals. Quan H? is performed both indoors, outdoors and on boats. On the village's hill, there is always a place to perform Quan H?. Performers are usually amateurs, working in various trades in the village at other times. Boys and girls, men and women gather in groups and walk around the village participating in various activities held during the festival. They offer each other betel-nut rolls. If a girl accepts the gift first from a boy who has no girlfriend, it is a signal that she will sing. Sometimes, a girl also offers this kind of present to a boy . The boys and girls sing in turn, expressing their emotions, conversing through the songs. Many a time, the voice or conduct of the boys and girls match so perfectly that they decide to date. Thus, they become close friends. In outdoor activities, both males and females use the traditional flat latanier hat called 'nón thúng' with a beautiful cloth chin-strap called 'quai thao'. The hats are a special sight, lending both romance and mystery. Group after group, they walk through the hills singing in the early spring drizzle. The colour of their clothes combined with the hues of the lush countryside make a perfect picture of quiet and peace. In the houses, the host invites a group of friends 'Quan H? khách' in the morning. Several houses contribute money to the host who in turn organizes the meals. From early morning, some from the group go to the village temple to receive the guests 'quan h?' while others prepare the meal at home. After paying their respects to Buddha in the temple, the hosts and guests return home and start singing songs on arrival at the house. The guests sing songs to wish the hosts a happy, prosperous and merry year. In return, the hosts reciprocate the guests' wishes with more songs, inviting them to take off their hats and to sit . The group then sit on either side of the house and sing songs inviting the others to drink tea, have the indispensable betel-nut rolls, and inquire about each other's health. The conversations are also conducted through song, using traditional rhythms and self-created lyrics. In the evening, they go and see the festival after which they continue to exchange songs at home. But more interesting is the Quan H? on the boats where boys and girls sit on small bamboo boats in pairs. The boats are put out in the ponds or river and the pairs again exchange songs. On the banks, people gather, listening and commenting on the performance, waiting for their turn to perform. The Festival proceeds at such a fast pace that at the end, everyone seems reluctant to part ways. As the song goes, 'You have left but I still stand here watching...' and waiting for next year's festival. (VNS)