On the morning of February 28, 2026 (the 12th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Horse), the people of Quậy Village solemnly held their traditional festival to commemorate the contributions of the village tutelary deities: Thủy Hải, Đăng Giang, Khổng Chúng, Thánh Tam Giang and Đông Hải Đại Vương – heroic figures who fought against foreign invaders, defended the country and achieved numerous glorious victories in the early history of the nation.

Ritual officials of Quậy Village performing the ceremonial rites

According to folk legend, the present-day residents of Quậy Village are descendants of the original Cổ Loa inhabitants. After succeeding the 18th Hùng King, An Dương Vương moved the capital from the Bạch Hạc area (present-day Việt Trì) to the delta region and established it at Cổ Loa. At that time, the people of Chạ Chủ were ordered to relocate to the Hà Vĩ area to establish a new village. “Hà” means river, while “Vĩ” means tail, referring to low-lying land at the end of a river. The name “Quậy” is believed to be a variant pronunciation of the word “cuối” (end), reflecting the village's geographical characteristics and history of formation.

As a community of original Cổ Loa inhabitants, Quậy Village is honored as the “anh Cả” (eldest brother) within the network of communities in the Loa Thành region. Every year, during the Cổ Loa Festival on the 6th day of the first lunar month at the Cổ Loa Special National Relic Site, Quậy Village is invited to offer prayers to the King and is honored with the privilege of performing rituals at the upper ceremonial mat, a position of distinction within the ritual space. According to tradition, when Cổ Loa Village established Chợ Sa Market, residents of Quậy Village were exempted from paying market taxes. However, when people from other places began falsely claiming to be residents of Quậy to enjoy this privilege, the village elders proactively proposed abolishing the exemption. This demonstrated the community's sense of self-respect, transparency and commitment to preserving its honor.

The traditional festival of Quậy Village is not only an occasion to express gratitude to previous generations but also contributes to preserving and promoting the distinctive cultural values of Cổ Loa, nurturing pride in the nation's origins and historical traditions among present and future generations.

CO LOA HISTORIC SITE MANAGEMENT BOARD