On the morning of February 26, 2026 (the 10th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Horse), the Festival Organizing Committee solemnly held the opening ceremony of the 2026 Mạch Tràng Village Festival in the solemn and joyful atmosphere of the early days of the new spring.

Opening ceremony of the 2026 Mạch Tràng Village Festival

In the past, Mạch Tràng Village was known as Mạch Trường and was located next to Cổ Loa Citadel (the Outer Rampart). According to legend, when An Dương Vương moved the capital from the northern mountainous region to the delta and established it at Cổ Loa, the king took advantage of the natural terrain to build the citadel and train his troops to resist the invading forces of Triệu Đà. It is said that the king brought a variety of grain crops to the area and taught local people how to cultivate them, while also establishing the Âu Lạc State's granary here.

During the reign of Ngô Quyền, a national school was established in this area, and the village's name was subsequently formed by combining the words Mạch and Trường into Mạch Trường. Over time, the name was colloquially pronounced as Mạch Tràng and has remained in use to this day.

The Mạch Tràng Village Festival forms part of the overall Cổ Loa Festival. Mạch Tràng is one of the eight ancient communes that worship King An Dương Vương and participate in organizing the “Bát xã Loa Thành” (Eight Communes of the Citadel) Festival. On the main festival day, the 6th day of the first lunar month each year, the villages of Cổ Loa, Văn Thượng, Mạch Tràng, Sằn Giã, Ngoại Sát, Đài Bi, Cầu Cả and Thư Cưu jointly take part in the ceremonial rites at Đền Thượng (the main temple dedicated to King An Dương Vương).

Ritual officials of Mạch Tràng Village performing the ceremonial rites

After completing the shared ceremonies and folk games within the framework of the Bát xã Festival, each village returns to its locality to continue organizing its own festivities, commonly known as “giã đám”. Thus, the Mạch Tràng Village Festival is both closely connected to the broader cultural space of Cổ Loa and imbued with the distinctive identity of its local community.

The annual organization of the festival not only reflects the Vietnamese tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source” but also contributes to preserving and promoting the historical and cultural values of Cổ Loa, nurturing pride in the nation's origins among present and future generations.

CO LOA HISTORIC SITE MANAGEMENT BOARD