Mr. Do Manh Hien, Deputy Secretary of Hai Phong City’s Party Committee and members of the Standing Board of the City’s Party Committee, Vice Chairmen of the City People’s Committee, Deputy Heads of Hai Phong City’s National Assembly delegation, alongside leaders from departments, committees, and agencies from relevant localities, and thousands of representative students and locals in Hai Phong City attended the festival. 

The main festival takes place from February 15th to February 17th (January 6th to 8th per Lunar Calendar) and will last until February 24th (January 15th per Lunar Calendar). The “Cáo yết” ceremony, where organizers conducted a ritual seek permission to host the festival from the deities, was held on the February 14th afternoon. The festival begins on February 15th, with folk games being held on the 16th and the ending ceremony on the 17th at 5 P.M. The celebratory aspect of the festival features cultural, musical, and sports activities, as well as folk games, exhibitions, etc., which created a joyful and healthy atmosphere for visitors.

The formal pen parade from the Xuan La Temple of Literature to the Mac Dynasty Memorial was followed by the pen placing ceremony, the festival opening oration and drumming. After the opening ceremony, the Kien Thuy district’s leaders and representative students penned their first writings full of optimistic meanings in the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024.

The first scribing festival is a traditional cultural and educational activity with deep humanitarian meanings to the Vietnamese. Penning the first writings in the new year symbolizes a swell beginning in all activities, programs, and plans, sending a message of hope for a successful and happy new year. Hosting the first penning festival in the Mac Dynasty Memorial showed honor to Mac Thai To and other past Mac kings for their contributions in educating to form talented minds./.