Le Mat Snake Festival

Name: Le Mat Snake Festival
Start: 2025-05-07
End: 2025-05-11
Location: Le Mat

A Celebration of Legends and Serpents in Hanoi’s Ancient Outskirts

2026/04/26 - 2026/04/30

Every spring, Le Mat Village on the outskirts of Hanoi comes alive with the Le Mat Snake Festival-a vibrant fusion of snake lore, hero legends, and ancient Vietnamese traditions. Held annually from the 20th to the 24th day of the third lunar month (main day: 23rd), the entire village transforms into a sensory wonderland. For those seeking thrills, rare delicacies, or a window into Vietnam’s folk culture, Le Mat promises an experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Step into the village and you’re greeted by the rhythm of drums, the earthy scent of incense and pond water, and colorful banners fluttering above ancient communal houses. Snake dances, traditional rituals, and culinary adventures draw tens of thousands of locals and visitors to this unique corner of Hanoi each year.

Main Attractions

The Legendary Snake Dance and Heroic Pageant

The festival’s highlight is the “Snake-Slaying Dance” (Jiaolong), featuring a 60-meter-long bamboo-and-cloth serpent. In the communal house courtyard, young men animate the giant snake to the thunder of drums, reenacting the legend of a hero who saves a princess from a monster. Martial arts, vivid colors, and storytelling combine in a truly spectacular performance.

Water Procession and Sacred Rituals

The festival begins with the Water Offering Ceremony: villagers draw water from an ancient pond, place it in a porcelain jar, and solemnly carry it to the temple. A large fish caught from the pond and wrapped in red cloth is offered to the village’s guardian deity. These rituals, honoring ancestors and land spirits, have been passed down for nearly 900 years.

Snake Contests, Folk Games, and Culinary Adventures

Snake-catching, breeding, and venom extraction contests showcase the villagers’ legendary skills. Folk songs, parades, and traditional games fill the lanes with excitement. For the adventurous, snake spring rolls, grilled snake, and snake wine tempt the palate-spicy, herbal, and unforgettable.

Costumes and Decorations

Festival-goers don vibrant traditional costumes: the hero in red armor, the princess in silk, villagers in ao dai. The giant bamboo-and-cloth snake is a visual marvel. Red flags, lanterns, and folk art decorate the village, while communal houses and temples are adorned with offerings, flowers, and incense, creating an atmosphere that is both festive and sacred.

Cultural and Historical Background

The Le Mat Snake Festival traces its origins back nearly 900 years to a Ly Dynasty legend. According to the story, a fisherman from the Hoang family saved a princess from a giant serpent and was granted land by the king to found the village. The hero declined riches and status, instead asking for land to help the poor and founding 13 hamlets. For villagers, the festival is a symbol of courage, gratitude, and community, and a proud tradition of snake catching and breeding passed down through generations.

Known as “the snake village,” Le Mat’s festival is an occasion for ancestor worship, community identity, and a living testament to Hanoi’s thousand-year-old civilization.

Participant Voices

“Watching the snake dance for the first time was mesmerizing-the drums, the giant serpent, the story of the hero and princess. It truly felt like witnessing living history.”

Fun Facts

The star of the snake dance is a giant bamboo-and-cloth serpent, 60 meters long and 60 centimeters wide.
Le Mat Village is home to over 100 snake-breeding households and numerous snake specialty restaurants.
Snake wine, infused with multiple snakes, is famous as a tonic and festival highligh.
The festival is one of Hanoi’s oldest folk celebrations, dating back to the Ly Dynasty (11th–13th centuries).

Festival Dates

The Le Mat Snake Festival is held annually in Le Mat Village, Viet Hung Ward, Long Bien District, about 7 km northeast of central Hanoi. For a taste of legendary snake dances, rare delicacies, and the depth of Vietnamese folk culture, a visit to Le Mat during this festival is a must.