Giong Festival is a traditional festival in commemoration and praise of the mythical hero Saint Giong, one of the four immortals of Vietnamese folk beliefs. The festival is held in many locations throughout the northern part of Vietnam, but the most typical ones are the Giong Festivals at Phu Dong and Soc Temples (Hanoi). The Giong Festival is held annually on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month.

Giong festival vividly reenacts the battles of Saint Giong and the Van Lang people under the 6th Hung King’s reign against the foreign invaders. This helps to raise public awareness of the forms of ancient tribal warfare and educates the people about patriotism, martial arts traditions, indomitable will, and the desire for national independence and freedom.

According to legend, after defeating the foreign invaders, Mount Soc in Phu Linh was the last stopover of the saint before ascending to heaven. During the festival, there are many traditional rituals, such as the procession ceremony, incense offering ceremony, the ritual of bathing the saint’s statue, and the bamboo flowers offering ceremony to the Thuong (Upper) Temple, which is dedicated to Saint Giong.