The Hai Thuong Lan Ong Festival is held at the Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Le Huu Trac Special National Monument Complex, located in the Huong Son area of Ha Tinh Province. This traditional festival holds an important place in the spiritual and cultural life of local communities. It is organized to commemorate and honor the great contributions of Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac, the renowned physician who devoted his entire life to healing people and advancing traditional Vietnamese medicine.
The festival usually takes place in early spring and combines solemn commemorative rituals with a variety of cultural, artistic, sporting, and folk activities. Through these activities, the festival not only expresses the traditional principle of remembering one’s origins and honoring previous generations, but also contributes to preserving cultural values, promoting the image of Huong Son, and attracting local residents and visitors to offer incense and learn about the life and career of Hai Thuong Lan Ong.
Main Activities of the Festival
The Hai Thuong Lan Ong Festival is held annually with a wide range of activities associated with the Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Le Huu Trac Special National Monument Complex. Important rituals generally include ceremonial offerings, incense-offering ceremonies, and commemorative processions marking the death anniversary of the renowned physician.
Alongside the solemn ceremonial activities, the festival program features various traditional cultural and sporting events, creating a joyful atmosphere during the early days of the Lunar New Year. Typical activities include:
- Cultural exchange programs and gatherings for new recruits preparing to leave for military service, under the theme “Spring Farewell to Those Departing for Service.”
- The festival opening ceremony combined with the Traditional Boat Racing Competition to Celebrate the Party and the Spring Festival, as well as a commemoration of Hai Thuong Lan Ong’s death anniversary.
- Men’s volleyball competitions in the Huong Son area.
- Chinese chess competitions.
- Tug-of-war competitions.
- Traditional folk games.
- Exhibition stalls displaying and introducing key local products, agricultural goods, and regional specialties.
The exhibition stalls provide an opportunity to introduce Huong Son’s agricultural products, signature goods, and local specialties to residents and visitors. They also connect cultural activities with local product promotion, contributing to tourism development and the growth of the community economy.
The commemorative rituals are usually held solemnly at the tomb, the temple dedicated to Hai Thuong Lan Ong, and other related sites within the monument complex. Local residents and visitors come to offer incense and express their respect for a physician who made outstanding contributions to Vietnamese traditional medicine.
Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac and the Meaning of Commemoration
Hai Thuong Lan Ong was the literary name of Le Huu Trac, one of the greatest physicians in the history of Vietnamese traditional medicine. He was born on the 12th day of the 11th lunar month in the year Giap Thin, corresponding to 1724, in his father’s homeland in Van Xa Village, Lieu Xa Commune, Duong Hao District, Thuong Hong Prefecture, Hai Duong Town, now located in Lieu Xa Commune, Yen My District, Hung Yen Province.
He died on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the year Tan Hoi, corresponding to 1791, in his mother’s homeland in the Bau Thuong area, Tinh Diem Commune, Huu Bang Canton, now part of Quang Diem Commune, Ha Tinh Province. Most of his life and career were closely associated with Huong Son, where he studied medicine, prepared herbal remedies, treated patients, and produced many valuable medical works.
Le Huu Trac was known not only for his medical talent but also as a thinker, cultural figure, and major author in the field of traditional medicine. His works, including Hai Thuong Y Tong Tam Linh and Y Gia Tam Linh, as well as other medical texts, systematized medical theories, treatment experiences, and the ethical principles of physicians.
For him, medicine was not merely a means of earning a living but a responsibility to save lives, with morality as its foundation. His emphasis on medical ethics, dedication to patients, and practical approach to treatment remain valuable to Vietnamese traditional medicine today.
The festival honors his contributions while educating present generations about patriotism, love for one’s homeland, compassion, professional ethics, and pride in the achievements of previous generations.
The Hai Thuong Lan Ong Monument Complex
The Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Le Huu Trac Monument Complex consists of several locations associated with the life, career, and final resting place of the renowned physician. The most prominent sites include the tomb and monument at the foot of Minh Tu Mountain, as well as the temple and memorial area in Bao Thuong Village, Quang Diem Commune.
The tomb and monument area covers approximately 45,000 square meters and includes various facilities such as Hai Thuong Lan Ong’s stone tomb, a ceremonial pavilion, a reception house, gardens, a stone-paved path leading to the monument, stairways, rest areas, a guest house, and a festival courtyard.
The path leading to the monument is approximately 629 meters long, consisting of 231 stone steps and several resting platforms. The statue of Le Huu Trac was carved from marble and placed on Minh Tu Mountain, a location associated with his medical career and the years he spent living and studying medicine amid the natural landscape of Huong Son.
The tomb lies at the foot of Minh Tu Mountain in a peaceful mountainous setting, facing the Ngan Pho River and a picturesque landscape of mountains and water. The tomb’s location, orientation, and basic structure have been preserved through several restoration and embellishment projects.
According to local folklore, Hai Thuong Lan Ong enjoyed flying musical kites during his lifetime. When he felt that he was approaching old age and nearing death, he reportedly instructed his descendants to release a kite, saying that the place where it landed should become his burial site. The area where the kite is believed to have fallen is said to be the location of his present tomb. This story adds a distinctive feature to the memorial space and reflects the physician’s close connection with the natural landscape of Huong Son.
A bamboo cluster grows near the tomb. The bamboo not only helps visitors identify the location of the grave but also symbolizes the upright character, purity, and noble personality of Hai Thuong Lan Ong.
Approximately 7 kilometers west of the tomb is the temple and memorial complex dedicated to Le Huu Trac in Bao Thuong Village, Quang Diem Commune, beside the Ngan Pho River. The site covers approximately 13,500 square meters and includes 18 structures, such as the Hai Thuong Lan Ong Temple, reception house, ceremonial courtyard, stele house, peach garden, and fruit orchard.
The Le Huu Trac Temple, also known as the Upper Sanctuary within the memorial complex, is closely associated with much of his life. It was once the place where he lived, rested, prepared medicines, and treated patients.
The memorial complex also includes Gia Mountain and a lotus pond. Gia Mountain was constructed to observe wind direction, while the lotus pond in front creates a harmonious landscape. According to oral traditions, this area was also connected with Hai Thuong Lan Ong’s activities in studying, preparing, and preserving medicinal herbs. It is said that on the top of Gia Mountain, he gave instructions to his descendants concerning the kite before his death.
Cultural Space and Heritage Values
The temple and memorial complex dedicated to Hai Thuong Lan Ong preserve and recreate numerous documents and artifacts related to his medical career. These include medicine-preparation tools, musical kites, medical manuscripts, and materials associated with famous works such as Hai Thuong Y Tong Tam Linh and Y Gia Tam Linh.
Every year, commemorative ceremonies honoring Hai Thuong Lan Ong are held on important occasions, particularly his death anniversary. The rituals take place at his tomb, the Le Huu Trac Temple, and other related cultural and spiritual sites throughout Huong Son.
The Hai Thuong Lan Ong Festival harmoniously combines the commemoration of a historical figure, community cultural activities, and traditional festival events. It helps preserve the custom of honoring previous generations, inspires pride in the homeland, and raises awareness of the preservation and promotion of the monument complex’s values.
Through the festival, Huong Son is introduced as a region rich in historical, cultural, and natural heritage. Visitors can not only participate in early-spring commemorative ceremonies but also learn about the life and career of Hai Thuong Lan Ong, explore the memorial structures, and admire the landscapes of Minh Tu Mountain and the Ngan Pho River.
Heritage Information
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Name of heritage | Hai Thuong Lan Ong Festival |
| Type of heritage | Traditional festival |
| Location | Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Le Huu Trac Monument Complex, Huong Son area, Ha Tinh Province |
| Time of organization | Annually, mainly in early spring and on the death anniversary of Hai Thuong Lan Ong |
| Person commemorated | The renowned physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac |
| Typical activities | Ceremonial offerings, incense offering, commemorative procession, festival opening ceremony, traditional boat racing, cultural exchanges, sports, folk games, and local product exhibitions |
| Outstanding values | Historical and cultural values, education in traditional virtues, commemoration of a historical figure, and community cohesion |
| Recognition document | Decision No. 3465/QD-BVHTTDL dated October 13, 2015 |
The Hai Thuong Lan Ong Festival is a meaningful cultural heritage event that honors the life and contributions of Le Huu Trac, while preserving the tradition of gratitude toward previous generations. It also offers visitors an opportunity to explore the historical legacy, spiritual atmosphere, and scenic beauty of Huong Son, where the memory of one of Vietnam’s greatest traditional physicians continues to be preserved and passed on.
