485th Anniversary of the Death of Thái Tổ Mạc Đăng Dung

   A fisherman's son from Cổ Trai village once rose from military officer to emperor and founded an entire dynasty - and for four days in early October, Kiến Hưng commune invites the Mạc clan's descendants from across the country, and any visitor, back to that very ground to honour him.

   From 1 to 4 October 2026 (21-24/8 on the lunar calendar), Kiến Hưng commune in Hải Phòng holds a series of events marking 485 years since the death of Thái Tổ Mạc Đăng Dung (1483-1541), born in Cổ Trai village, who founded the Mạc dynasty in 1527. The main ceremony falls on 2 October at the Memorial Site of the Mạc Dynasty Kings: the commemoration at 8:00 and the incense offering at 10:00. The afternoon before (1 October) brought an announcement rite with a royal offering tray; the evening of 2 October honours outstanding teachers and students of the 2025-2026 school year alongside model workers and producers. The evening of 3 October adds a welcome arts programme, while 3 October is given over to folk games from 8:00 to 17:00 - tug of war, pole-pushing and the blindfolded pot-breaking game. On 4 October the programme closes with visits to the site, incense offerings and a thanksgiving rite.

   Starting as a military officer under the Lê dynasty, Mạc Đăng Dung rose through military and political ranks before taking the throne in 1527, opening 65 years of Mạc rule from Thăng Long, during which 22 civil examinations trained a generation of scholars, including the celebrated Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm. The Mạc court was also known for looking to the sea: building ports, opening markets, and raising the Dương Kinh complex in Cổ Trai itself, with palaces, schools and shrines, alongside crafts - blue-and-white ceramics, woodcarving, bronze bell casting - still practised in the area today.

   It suits Mạc-clan descendants travelling in from around the country to pay respects, anyone curious about 16th-century Vietnamese history, and travellers who want to see a village festival that still keeps its old rites - processions, offerings, folk games - fully intact. Vũ Kim Khanh, head of Đương Thắng hamlet, calls it "not only a chance to remember Thái Tổ, but a reunion that draws the whole neighbourhood closer". If you want a destination with both historical depth and a genuine village-festival atmosphere, these four days in Kiến Hưng are worth the detour.

   The Memorial Site of the Mạc Dynasty Kings is a Special National Monument in Đương Thắng hamlet, where the whole commune has spent recent days tidying roads and hanging flags for visitors. The organiser is the Kiến Hưng Commune People's Committee; its chairman, Phạm Văn Định, says the programme is also meant to promote the monument alongside tourism, and to set the stage for a bigger milestone: 2027 marks exactly 500 years since Mạc Đăng Dung's coronation, with a scholarly conference and a larger anniversary already in preparation.

   Ticket prices and entry conditions are not mentioned in the local announcement - as a community festival, entry is most likely free, but it is worth checking on site. The main ceremony day (2 October) draws the largest crowd, so arriving early makes it easier to follow the full incense-offering and performance programme.