Unique Tien Pagoda festival in Lac Thuy

3/12/2024 - 4:06:28 PM

As spring comes, people in Phu Nghia commune in particular and Lac Thuy district in general flock to Tien Pagoda festival to enjoy festive activities during the annual event.

The ritual of palanquin processing from Trung Temple to Tien Pagoda for the opening of the festival in 2024.

Tien Pagoda festival takes place in the Phu Nghia relic complex in Phu Nghia commune. This year, the festival was organised at the provincial level, attracting a large number of visitors.

Vu Huyen Chi, a visitor from Hanoi, said that she took her family to the pagoda on the fourth day of the first lunar month to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the site, adding she will visit the site again to further explore the massive relic area.

Giang My, who was born in Lac Thuy and resides in Hai Phong, also chose Tien Pagoda festival for her family’s spring trip to pray for a new year of good health and smooth work, and enjoy the festive atmosphere with various folk games at the festival. Her family also had a chance to enjoy "Chau van” (trance ritual singing) and a trade fair.

This year, the opening ceremony of the Tien Pagoda festival took place in three days from February 12-14, or the third to the fifth day of the first lunar month, with diverse cultural and sports activities, along with a special art programme featuring folk art, instrumental music, Muong gong art, Chau van, and the demonstration of Tam Phu Mother Goddess ritual. The festival lasts for three months until the end of the third lunar month.

The festival, the largest of its kind in Lac Thuy, carries strong identity of the Muong traditional culture. The palanquin processing of the festival starts from three venues of Trinh temple, Mau (Mother Goddess) temple and Trung temple.

Visitors can also take a journey through the Dong Tien – Chua Tien – Mau Dam Da relic complex where Au Co Mother Goddess, Tan Vien Mountain Gods, and Tu vi Thanh nuong (four Holy Mothers) are worshipped.

The Chua Tien landscape and relic complex has 20 relics, including historical, cultural, archeological ones and landscapes spanning Lao Noi and Lao Ngoai communes. Particularly, Tien cave landscape site, a famous archaeological site in the complex, was recognised as a national relic site in 1989.

Currently, the construction of a cable car system in the valley of the Huong Pagoda-Tien Pagoda-Tam Chuc Pagoda spiritual triangle is underway.

Nguyen Van Hai, Chairman of the Lac Thuy People’s Committee, said that along with spreading the traditional cultural values of the local community, the festival is also a chance for the district to promote its tourism to domestic and foreign visitors, contributing to promoting the local socio-economic development.

3.6 Billion VND Allocated to Preserve Traditional Cultural Values of Ethnic Minorities in Lạc Sơn District

As part of Project 6 under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2024, Lạc Sơn District, Hoa Binh province focuses on diverse and practical activities to promote the project's goal: "Preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development."

Mobilizing the power to preserve and promote the cultural heritage values

After 3 years of implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated October 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hoa Binh province's ethnic groups in the period of 2021 – 2025 with the orientation to 2030 (NQ04), it has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the people from all walks of life and there have been positive changes. So far, out of the 10 targets of NQ04, 3 targets have been met and exceeded the plan set for 2025. Typically, 70% of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of ethnic groups in the province is on the list of the national ICH items and they have been protected and restored, exceeding 20% of the proposed Resolution.