(VOVworld) A food-distributing festival was held on Sunday night at the Tran Thuong Temple in Ha nam province where 80,000 food parcels containing such staples as corn and rice were handed out. Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan was among thousands of attendants at the festival. Tran Thuong temple is one of the three largest temples in the country dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300), his family and other generals who made great contributions to the fight against invading Mongols in the 13th century. Local residents have long organised a food distribution ceremony at the beginning of each lunar New Year to commemorate the general's achievements and to educate younger generations about the importance of stockpiling food for emergencies. Nowadays, the symbolic portions are considered a lucky charm for the New Year.

Seal issuance ceremony at Tran temple. Photo: Internet

The same day, a Khai An or Seal Issuance festival was held at Tran temple in Nam Dinh province. Luong Hong Quang, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Arts and Culture Research Institute Luong Hong Quang says the temple will issue seals until the end of this month to avoid overcrowding."The number of visitors to the temple is less than in previous years. People believe that the seal will bring them luck", said Quang.