On the morning of February 10, 2025 (the 13th day of the First Lunar Month, Year of the Snake), at the cultural house of Sằn Giã Hamlet, the Organizing Committee inaugurated the Sằn Giã Village Festival 2025.
Sằn Giã, located in Cổ Loa Commune to the northwest of the Outer Citadel, is surrounded on all sides by rice fields. Locally known as “làng Sằn,” the hamlet is traditionally divided into three neighborhoods: Upper Hamlet, Lower Hamlet, and Pagoda Hamlet. According to village elders, Sằn Giã was once one of the eight defensive posts of the Cổ Loa Citadel, commanded by General Cao Phổ Lân.
Elders recount that 1952 (Year of the Dragon) was the last year the villagers organized their traditional festival. In the past, the Sằn Village Festival took place on the 9th day of the First Lunar Month with complete rituals and folk games. During the resistance war against the French, the Sằn communal house–pagoda complex was destroyed; later, villagers set up ancestral altars inside the cultural house, while the pagoda was rebuilt in a different location. For many years, the village lacked the conditions to restore its festival, so the elders maintained only the practice of participating in the Cổ Loa Festival and offering incense at the communal ceremonies. In 2015, Sằn Giã was recognized as a Cultural Village and designated the 13th day of the First Lunar Month as its annual festival day.
The Spring 2016 Festival (Year of the Monkey) marked the revival of Sằn Village’s traditional celebration after more than 60 years of interruption. Therefore, the festival initially remained limited in terms of space, facilities, manpower for ritual ceremonies, incense offering, and cultural–sport activities. Today, on the 6th day of the First Lunar Month, the village participates in the Bát Xã Loa Thành procession and assigns two representatives to join the ritual offering.

Altar dedicated to King An Dương Vương

Paying homage to King An Dương Vương on the festival day

Together with the festivals of the Bát Xã Loa Thành, the Sằn Giã Village Festival adds vivid color and character to the festive landscape of Cổ Loa. Immersing oneself in the vibrant atmosphere of these early spring celebrations offers a deeper appreciation for the enduring cultural values of the capital and of a nation with a thousand years of civilization.