ANDY-Vietnamese's BLOG

The La Phu pig procession festival 2008 took place on February 19 with 16 “Mr. Pigs” representing 16 villages in La Phu commune in Hanoi’s neighboring province of Ha Tay.

La Phu, 20km from Hanoi, was known for its silk products in the past and now for wool weaving. It is also famous for its pig procession and offerings on the night of the 13th of lunar January.

This custom was started a long time ago. The village temple has many precious exhibits including royal proclamations from the 17^th century honoring a general who struggled for the peace of the village. It was said that the general, born on the seventh of lunar January, had trained his troops in La Phu village. Whenever the enemy troubled the area, the villagers prepared steamed sticky rice and pigs to give a feast to the general and his troops before the fight and after victory. The villagers then decided to select the thirteenth of lunar January to mark the general's death and his contributions by building a temple to worship him.

During the festival, the villagers arrange a number of processions and cultural and sports activities.

The pig procession is the most significant activity of the festival. The villagers raise a pig with special care from the previous year to reach 120-200kg. The procession features elders and 32 young people, all wearing formal uniforms who walk along the path through the village to the temple.

Many people from neighboring areas join the festival to pray to the village tutelary god for a bumper crop and a year of happiness.