Phu Giay Festival ended yesterday at Kim Thai Village, Vu Ban District, Nam Dinh province. The last day of the festival still attracted thousands of pilgrimagers.

It was estimated that a half-million visitors nationwide took part in the festival so far, mostly in festival time to offer incense to Lieu Hanh Goddess and join cultural activities.

Vice chairman of Vu Ban District, head of festival organization board, Nguyen Van Nha, Phu Giay Festival 2010 was held from April 16-21 (3rd – 8th day of third lunar month). This is one of five biggest festivals in Vietnam and is held annually in lare scale under the instruction of Cultural, Sports and Tourism Ministry.

During 5-day festival, visitors had chanes to take part in many unique and fantastic cultural activities such as offering to Lieu Hanh Goddess, sedan chair procession, Chau Van singing contest, wrestling, swinging, cock fighting; bird fighting dragon - lion dancing and especially "keo chu" game take place after finishing the procession.

Phu Giay is the place where worships Lieu Hanh - one of "four immortal gods" of Vietnamese. The third lunar month is the time agricultural work is relatively leisurely. This is the most suitable time for organizing festivals. Thus, people in the northern plain are eager to go on pilgrimages with the aim at both relaxing after hard working days and feeling the harmony between human and nature; visiting natural landscapes and splendid architectural works made by hand. More especially, they go on pilgrimages to satisfy their spiritual   need, to seek   for   religious   belief for expecting better things in their lives.