A large spring festival took place around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital city of Hanoi on February 20, raising the curtain for a series of festivities to welcome the 1,000 anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

The festival, entitled “The 1,000th Spring of Thang Long-Hanoi”, aims to highlight cultural features of Hanoi.

It started with an animated dragon dance, followed by a folk dance and a long march carrying the symbol of Hanoi and a portrait of late President Ho Chi Minh.

The festival seemed more ebullient with a sport dance and martial art and art performances.

Before the opening of the festival, the capital’s leaders and people paid homage to King Ly Thai To who himself decided to move the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long, now Hanoi.

The same day, a festival to commemorate the legendary Mother Au Co who is said to be an ancestor of Vietnamese people was held in the northern province of Phu Tho. It is also part of activities to be held across the country to mark the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Legend has it that Au Co, who is a fairy, met and then got married to Lac Long Quan, a dragon. Au Co gave birth to 100 eggs which hatched out 100 sons, who were the forefather of the Vietnamese nation.