Festival features ancient cross-dressing dance

Lifestyle

With their elegant appearance and soft, rhythmic movements, the young men dress as women create a distinctive charm, giving the dance both ritual significance and the lively spirit of folk culture. (Photo: VNA)
Participants prepare their make-up and costumes before the performance. (Photo: VNA)
Young men selected to perform the dance are usually chosen for their handsome appearance, bright faces and gentle personalities. They wear make-up with red lips and rosy cheeks, dress in female costumes, strap drums to their chests and perform graceful movements to lively drumbeats. (Photo: VNA)
The “Con di danh bong” dance was performed at the communal house of Trieu Khuc village during the opening ceremony of the village’s traditional festival on the 10th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse. This year, the festival takes place from February 25 to 28, 2026 (the 9th to 12th days of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse). (Photo: VNA)
It is regarded as one of the representative folk dances of the ancient land of Thang Long, contributing to the preservation of the locality’s traditional cultural values. (Photo: VNA)
Festival features ancient cross-dressing dance
Held annually from the 9th to the 12th day of the first lunar month, the festival honours Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung, a national hero who fought foreign invaders and defended the country. According to tradition, when Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung gathered insurgents in the village to fight the Tang army, he ordered soldiers to dress as women in colourful costumes, strap small drums to their chests and perform the dance to boost morale and create a joyful atmosphere.