The Quan Lan temple is located in the central area of
the ancient Van Don harbour. The festival is organized
yearly on the 18th day of the 6th lunar month, but the
whole celebrations last from the 10th to the 20th. The
festival is organized to commemorate the victory against
the Mongol invaders in 1288, as well as the feats of Tran
Khanh Du, a famous Tran general. There are also prayers
for a good "harvest" from the sea.
The 10th day of the 6th lunar month features the ritual of
"closing the village", in which the inhabitants cannot
leave, but guests are welcome. The 16th day is reserved
for receiving the genies. There is a procession carrying
Tran Khanh Du's funeral tablets from the temple to the
village communal house.
On the 18th day at about 3pm (the tide reaches the
temple's wharf at this time), the boats start.
The"soldiers" representing the two sides are dressed in
different costumes. The two generals make
sword-tracings in the air and then the troops meet each
other three times to symbolize the three victories of the
Tran dynasty. Following the third meeting, the armies
assemble before the shrine and the rowing contest begins.
The Quan Lan Temple Festival bears characteristics of a
traditional village festival, but is particularly
grandiose, expressing the military spirit of the
Vietnamese.
