Carp village prepares for Kitchen Gods’ Day

There is no busier time than Tet for Thuy Tram village in the northern province of Phu Tho. It is a time of high demand for the village’s famous produce, red carp (Photo: VNA)

Thuy Tram village is a famous red-carp raising area in the north and it’s also the country’s red carp growing cradle (Photo: VNA)

The produce is distributed in many parts of northern Vietnam during Ong Cong Ong Tao or (the Kitchen God) ceremony which takes place on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month (Photo: VNA)

The locality’s trade has existed for nearly six decades (Photo: VNA)

Red carp area reaches 30 hectares in Thuy Tram village (Photo: VNA)

Thuy Tram village provides the market with 50 tonnes of red carp during this season (Photo: VNA)

As the legend goes, during the Kitchen Gods Day, the Land Genie and the Kitchen Gods will ride carps to Heaven on the day to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to the God of Heaven (Photo: VNA)

As the gods make their journey on the back of fish, it is traditional to release live carps into lakes or rivers, which is considered a kindhearted deed to pray for good luck (Photo: VNA)

On the 23rd day of the last month of the year, Vietnamese families hold a send-off ceremony for the Land Genie and the Kitchen Gods. Among other things, golden carps are indispensable for the festival. In the photo: Thuy Tram villagers harvest red carps to prepare for Kitchen Gods’ Day (Photo: VNA)

After prayers are finished, the carp are released into a large body of water, usually lakes, but preferably streams or rivers. In the photo: Thuy Tram villagers harvest red carps to prepare for Kitchen Gods’ Day (Photo: VNA)

The carp will serve as their mean of transportation and therefore, must be healthy and looking their best. In the photo: Thuy Tram villagers harvest red carps to prepare for Kitchen Gods’ Day (Photo: VNA)

When Tet arrives, business blooms as large numbers of carp are ordered from all over the northern region (Photo: VNA)

Thuy Tram village provides the market with 50 tonnes of red carp during this season (Photo: VNA)

Thuy Tram village in Phu Tho province is a famous red-carp raising area in the north and it’s also the country’s red carp growing cradle (Photo: VNA)

Thuy Tram village provides the market with 50 tonnes of red carp during this season (Photo: VNA)

Carp raising has provided Thuy Tram villagers with a much more comfortable life (Photo: VNA)

Red carp area reaches 30 hectares in Thuy Tram village (Photo: VNA)

Carp raising has provided Thuy Tram villagers with a much more comfortable life (Photo: VNA)