Opening of the Ky Yen Festival at Dieu Hoa Communal House

(DTO) On the afternoon of April 3, the People’s Committee of My Tho Ward, Dong Thap Province, held the opening ceremony of the 2026 Ky Yen Festival at Dieu Hoa Communal House. Attending the event were Doan Van Phuong, Provincial Party Committee member and Standing Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, along with leaders of several provincial departments and sectors.

From My Tho Ward, attendees included Ngo Huynh Quang Thai, Provincial Party Committee member, Secretary of the Ward Party Committee and Chairman of the Ward People’s Council; Dang Huu Loc, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ward Party Committee; Le Quoc Cuong, Deputy Secretary of the Ward Party Committee and Chairman of the Ward People’s Committee; heads of residential quarters, and a large number of local residents.

The festival lasts three days, from April 3 to 5 (the 16th to 18th of the second lunar month), at the nationally recognized Dieu Hoa Communal House (101 Trinh Hoai Duc Street, Quarter 22, My Tho Ward).

The main rites include the Ceremony Honoring Fallen Soldiers, the Rite of Receiving the Deity’s Decree and Procession, ceremonies for the Founders and Later Benefactors, the God of Agriculture, Traditional Deity Ritual, the Xay chau dai boi Ritual, and the Enthronement of the Deity’s Decree. A variety of cultural activities also accompany the festival, such as hat boi, folk games, and a sticky-rice cooking contest.

Le Quoc Cuong, Deputy Secretary of the Ward Party Committee and Chairman of the My Tho Ward People’s Committee, stated: “The Ky Yen Festival at Dieu Hoa Communal House has long been a hallmark of our local cultural identity. It is not only a folk ritual, but also a gathering place for values, traditions, and the spiritual life of My Tho’s people.

Each incense stick and each solemn ritual reflects wishes for peace, prosperity, favorable weather, community harmony, and the preservation and promotion of precious cultural heritage. It is also an expression of deep gratitude to our predecessors, who devoted sweat, effort, and even their lives to building the beautiful land we enjoy today.

The organization of the Ky Yen Festival at Dieu Hoa Communal House reflects the shared responsibility of both authorities and residents in safeguarding heritage, while expressing pride in the cultural traditions of My Tho. It is also a reminder that no matter how far development goes, core cultural values will be preserved and treasured.”

Dieu Hoa Communal House was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2009, closely tied to the formation and development of My Tho. Beyond honoring predecessors and benefactors with meritorious contributions, it has long served as an important center of cultural and spiritual life for generations of residents.

By GIA NGHIEM
Translated by ANH DUC