Trung Do Village

Mountains close in on three sides at Trung Đô, and the Chảy River bends through a flat stretch of silt. The village lies in Bảo Nhai commune, down the road from Bắc Hà town toward the river.

The place has a long history. The Trung Đô temple was built in the late 18th century to honor three generals of the Later Lê dynasty. One was Khánh Dương Hầu Vũ Văn Uyên. Another was Gia Quốc Công Vũ Văn Mật. The third was General Hoàng Vần Thùng.

The three men came from Gia Lộc, in Hải Dương. From the 16th century they traveled upriver, built fortified walls and opened up the land of Bắc Hà, in the years when the Lê dynasty stood against the Mạc dynasty. People along the river call them "Chúa Bầu." The Tày and other peoples of the region use this title of honor for those who keep their land at peace. In 2005 the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the temple as a National Historic Site.

The temple grounds lie on level ground, with a clear stream in front and tall mountains behind. Two streams, the Nậm Thin and the Nậm Khòn, join near the temple and flow on into the river. The scenery stays green all year.

The Tày and the Nùng are two peoples of northern Vietnam with closely related languages and similar cultures. The Tày community of Trung Đô has stayed close to this temple for many generations, and it keeps something rare. UNESCO has recognized their traditional tug-of-war ritual and game as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a ritual to pray for a good harvest and to bind the community together. It has set forms and rules handed down through the generations, and it is not a plain game.

Trung Đô holds two large festivals each year. The Xuống đồng festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It opens the farming season with the tịch điền rite and folk games. The Then dance and đàn tính music go with it. Then is a ritual practice in the spiritual life of the Tày.

The Khao quân festival falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. It honors the generals for their service. Tày, Hmong, Dao and Nùng families gather from many villages for cooking contests, crossbow shooting and folk performances. The Khao quân festival of 2025 had 16 teams from 38 villages.

More than 40 Tày households in Trung Đô take part in community tourism. They offer stays in stilt houses, the Then dance, đàn tính music and visits to the monuments. This is their everyday life, not a stage.

The Chảy River ran through here before the temple was built. In the early morning the water lies flat and throws silver light up into the green trees along the bank. The sound of the đàn tính drifts out of a stilt house and joins the sound of running water. Among the mountains, the fields and the kitchen smoke, time seems to slow down.