Lệ Mật
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Le Mat is a village in Viet Hung Ward, Long Bien District, about 7 km northeast of Hanoi city center (now belonging to Viet Hung Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi City). The village is famous for its snake catching and specialty snake meat processing.[1] Every year, on March 23 of the lunar calendar, people of the surrounding areas and visitors from everywhere visit Le Mat village.
The tradition of snake hunting and snake meat processing in the village is closely linked to the legend of a village tutelary god Phuc Ngoc Trung, from Le Mat village. The story is that: in the 11th century, the daughter of King Ly Than Tong sailed on the Thien Duc River (the Duong River today) and was captured by a snake-shaped monster. Though entourage was not large enough to save her, fortunately, a young fisherman named Hoang rushed into the battle and beheaded the monster. (An alternative version has the princess die, and the fisherman bravely retrieve her corpse). The brave young man refused all fame, gold and silver awarded by the king, merely asking permission to bring the villagers of Thang Long to the land west of Thang Long citadel. After being approved by the king, Le Mat people crossed the Nhi Ha river (Red river) to explore this area. He and the villagers set up 13 prosperous hamlets known as "Thap Tam Trai". Following his example, the people of Le Mat village, in addition to farmers, also develop snakes and snake raising. Currently, there are hundreds of snake households in the village, dozens of snake speciality restaurants and many cultural and artistic activities about snakes held annually. Le Mat is considered as a snake transaction center of the whole North, and a famous snake village in Vietnam and around the world.