Exciting Fireworks Festival in Quang Uyen town (Quang Hoa District)

Quang Uyen town Fireworks Festival is a major festival of Cao Bang province organized annually on February 2 of the lunar calendar.The festival is associated with historical, spiritual values of Bach Linh temple. This traditional festival has the meaning of commemorating the deities and heroes who have contributed to the people and country and is also an activity marking a new year, praying for favourable weather conditions, bumper harvest, peacefulnesss and prosperity.

During the festival, exciting activities take place such as the sacrificing ceremony at Bach Linh shrine; cultural interactions between folk song clubs of communes and the town; pig roasting competition; display of local agricultural products; exhibition of paintings and photos about the district's socio-economic development potential; sports competitions such as “lay con”, Chinese chess, “tung con” (throwing a cloth ball through a ring on a high pole), blindfolded duck catching, etc.

Especially the competition grabbing for the head of the firecworks is a highlight of the festival, which attracts many people and tourists from all over. According to the event organizers, each communes and the town in Quang Hoa district formed a team of 3 healthy, agile, and intelligent young men known as "warriors" to participate in the competition for the firework’s head. With the belief that the commune that wins the ring (part of the firework’s head) will have good luck, fortune, and prosperity, the competition always attracts healthy young men from communes and town in the district to compete for blessing ring and bring good luck to their communes.

In September 2020, the Quang Uyen town (Quang Hoa) Firework Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage and became an essential part of the cultural life of ethnic people here.