(VOVworld) - Festivals at the Va temple and Hat Mon temple in the capital city of Hanoi have been named as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage. The Va festival is organised in autumn and spring every year at the Va temple in Son Tay suburban district. It honours the god of Tan Vien Mountain known as Son Tinh, who is respected as one of the immortals in Vietnam’s folk tale.

A penlaquin procession at the Va temple festival

The Hat Mon festival at the Hat Mon Temple in Phuc Tho suburban district commemorates the contributions to the nation by the two national heroines, known as the Trung sisters. The two sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, led their troops on elephant back to repel Chinese invaders for three years. The victory brought the liberation for Dai Viet (an old name for Vietnam) after 247 years of Chinese domination. Besides the two festivals, an additional 13 heritages were also listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.