THANH DAM FESTIVAL (PROCESSION OF MUSSELS)

Thanh Dam Festival is held at Thanh Dam communal house and Lam river section of Thanh Dam village, Nam Tan commune (now known as Thuong Tan Loc commune), Nam Dan district, Nghe An province from February 15 to 18 (lunar calendar) every year.

Thanh Dam village is about 30 km southwest of Vinh city, located near Lam river. The communal house was built in 1899 (the winter of the Year of Earth Pig) and completed at the end of 1900. The communal house facing the East - South direction, consists of 5 compartments, 21m long, 5m wide, 21 ironwood pillars, in which, icluding: 12 pillars with 4.5m and 3.2m high. On the roof of the communal house was embossed with the shape of a dragon adoring the moon, and four curved roofs, making the house more majestic. The communal house was roofed with comedy-nose tiles, inside, there is a foot of stone (blue stone) carved very elaborately on each wooden pillar. The house maker is carpenters from Thai Yen commune (02 groups). The art of communal house architecture is quite beautiful, components are carved flowers and four sacred animals (dragon, unicorn, turtle, phoenix).

The communal house worships Monsignor of the River, who is the Water God associated with the people of the river region. It can be said that mussels are a specialty of the Nam Dan countryside, an indispensable creature in the material life of the people. Therefore, they appreciate the products that nature and the Water God have brought to them.

The festival is an opportunity for them to show their respect and gratitude to the Water God. Thanh Dam festival is carried out with many rituals imbued with unique folklore characteristics such as: worshiping gods at Thanh Dam communal house, festivals on Lam river, procession and release of mussels. In addition, there were many interesting contests such as mussel picking, mussel raking at this festival, which attracts a large number of people from Thanh Dam village and people in the vicinity to watch and cheer.