Chem Temple Festival – Celebrating legends

The Chem Temple Festival is held annually from the 14th to the 16th of May (the fourth lunar month) in the suburban district of Tu Liem, about 12 km from the heart of Hanoi. The festival takes place in the village of Thuy Phuong where the Chem Temple was built by villagers to honour Ly Than, a legendary warrior who defended the territories during the Hung dynasty.

A number of festivities take place over these 3 days including traditional folk games between villages in the region, kite flying and a moc duc ceremony, or the washing of the god statues. A series of processions also follow, the most anticipated being the water procession where 3 dragon boats are sailed along the Hong River. Travellers hoping to catch the festivities would ideally want to stay in the vicinity. A good option would be to look for a Hanoi serviced apartment like the Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi which is just 30 minutes away from the Chem Temple while being central enough to explore other attractions around Hanoi.