Nam Dinh, Feb. 12 -- A royal seal bestowing ceremony opened at Tran Temple in the northern province of Nam Dinh on February 11 or the 14th day of the first lunar month, with a plenty of exciting cultural and sports activities and drawing thousands of local people and visitors.

The ceremony re-enacted a custom dating back to the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400), when mandarins took out their seals after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday to resume administrative activities, including conferring titles.

As a tradition, this year's event began with a procession to take the seal from Co Trach temple to Thien Truong temple, where 14 Kings of the Tran Dynasty are worshiped.

Following a short speech by Chairman of the Nam Dinh City People's Committee N...