The event attracts a great interest from a large crowd.

The festival aims to commemorate General Phan Tay Nhac, who is believed to have lived during the reign of the 18th Hung King. Legend has it that the General regularly held the contest to find the best cook to serve his soldiers food before heading into battle.

During the rice cooking contest, groups of competitors have to start a fire, fetch water, and cook the rice.

Starting a fire is one of the most exciting parts of the contest. They try to complete the tasks in the shortest possible time.

Boys of each group run to Nhue River to fetch water to cook rice.

They then wash the rice.

Each group has only 30 minutes to complete the cooking contest.

The rice pots are surrounded with the burning straw to keep them hot.

Four pots of rice are removed from the burning straw by jury member Phy Minh Dang.

Cooked rice is offered to a custodian god to pray for a happy, lucky, and peaceful new year.

The organizing board begins to award points for the quality of the cooked rice.