Tens of thousands of locals and visitors attended a festival to mark the 225th anniversary of the victory of the Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da battle in Hanoi’s Dong Da Park on Feb. 4.
The annual Dong Da Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar to mark Emperor Quang Trung Nguyen Hue's victory over the Chinese Qing invaders in 1789.
The festival started with an incense offering ceremony in memory of King Quang Trung-Nguyen Hue and the Tay Son soldiers. It featured a series of cultural, artistic and sport activities, and martial art performances.
A similar event was held in the central province of Binh Dinh, the homeland of Emperor Quang Trung.
In the early spring of 1789, Nguyen Hue, who was later proclaimed Emperor Quang Trung, led his guerrillas from Hue to Hanoi, which was then occupied by the Chinese Qing army. He launched a surprise attack and defeated more than 20,000 Qing soldiers during a battle on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.
* View pictures of the festival in the above slideshow.