Disguise and drums mark sacred rite in Hanoi village
At Trieu Khuc’s annual spring celebration, young men in silk blouses and lotus bras perform a centuries-old dance born of wartime strategy and preserved as living heritage.
THE HANOI TIMES — On a spring morning, crowds jostle to watch the Con Di Danh Bong (Girls Play Drum) or Bong dance in Trieu Khuc Village, now part of Hanoi’s Thanh Liet Ward.
Hidden behind fluttering skirts and playful glances, the legendary dance captivates festival-goers at this year's Trieu Khuc Village Festival. Photos: Quang Thai/ Hanoimoi
Men dressed as women glide in white blouses and lotus-shaped bras trimmed with five-color fringes. Red headscarves form bright triangles across their foreheads. Black skirts sway over white trousers as they move with studied, feminine poise. Only a closer look reveals they are young men, sustaining a role handed down through generations.
Their movements are light and fluid: hips circling gently, arms rippling like silk, hands shaping flowers before brushing the small drums strapped to their chests. With each motion, they appear almost weightless, lifted by the spring air.
Legend traces the dance to the 8th century, when national hero Phung Hung trained troops in Trieu Khuc while resisting the Tang dynasty. To raise morale, he ordered soldiers to dress as women and dance with drums. What began as battlefield theater evolved into an annual rite, performed from the 9th to the 12th day of the first lunar month. Today, it anchors the village festival.
The Trieu Khuc Village festival runs annually from the 9th to the 12th day of the first lunar month (February 25 - 28), honoring King Phung Hung (770 - 798), regarded as the village’s founder, and Saint Vu Duc Uy, an 18th-century figure credited with passing on the weaving craft.
Thanh Liet Ward, about seven kilometers southwest of central Hanoi, is known for its deep-rooted cultural traditions and historic village festivals.
Held annually, the traditional festival of Trieu Khuc Village, Thanh Liet Ward draws not only local residents but also visitors from across Vietnam and beyond.
Villagers carry the royal robes and court attire of King Phung Hung from the Temple of the Sacred Spirits to the Great Hall.
The highlight of the celebration is the famed Bong dance.
The performance is counted among the ten ancient dances of Thang Long, the former name of Hanoi.
Each festival requires at least six male performers in female costume to stage the Bong dance.
Beyond appearance, performers must master controlled, fluid movements.
Choreography draws on stylized gestures traditionally associated with women while spectators crowd in, cheering the amateur dancers’ precise steps.
A dragon dance troupe adds color and percussion to the festivities.
For travelers, the Trieu Khuc Village festival offers more than spectacle - a living heritage told through rhythm, color and ritual illusion.
