Annual festivities celebrate heritage

Bearing gifts: A procession of offerings at last year's Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh City. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung

HA NOI — Countless numbers of people are expected to attend two big ceremonies in Nam Dinh and Ha Nam provinces tonight and early tomorrow morning.

A seal opening ceremony to welcome the new year is being held at the Tran Temple, Loc Vuong Ward in the northern city of Nam Dinh, the cradle of the Tran dynasty in the 13-14th centuries.

The country's leaders, the provincial chairman, the provincial Party committee secretary and the 14 oldest people from Loc Vuong Ward have been invited to attend the ceremony to be held in Thien Truong (upper temple).

This year, replica good luck seals will be issued to the public from 75 spots to prevent disorder. About 10,000-12,000 people are expected to receive seals from the organisation board.

The ceremony is held annually to preserve and bring into play cultural and moral values and traditions of the Vietnamese ancestors, especially the national heroes under the Tran dynasty.

Covering over 10ha in Loc Vuong Ward, 80km south of Ha Noi, the Tran Temple comprises Thien Truong where the 14 Tran kings are worshipped, Co Trach (lower temple) dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300), and Bao Loc Temple, home to the General's tomb and statue.

Tran Hung Dao was famous for his triumphs over the mighty Mongol Yuan dynasty. In Ha Nam Province, six stores of food were set up in the Tran Thuong Temple by the General in 1285 to serve in his second fight against the Mongol Yuan.

Since then, a food ceremony has been held by local people in his honour. The ceremony will be held at 15 spots around the temple and about 50,000 people are expected to attend from 11.05pm tonight.

The main ceremony will take place officially from 10pm-11pm today. — VNS

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Ceremonies set for large turn outs

HA NOI – Countless numbers of people are expected to attend two big ceremonies in Nam Dinh and Ha Nam provinces on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

A seal opening ceremony to welcome the new year will be held in the Tran Temple, Loc Vuong Ward in the northern city of Nam Dinh, the homeland of the Tran Dynasty in the 13-14th centuries.

The country's leaders, the provincial chairman, the provincial party committee secretary and the 14 oldest people from Loc Vuong Ward have been invited to attend the ceremony to be held in Thien Truong (upper temple).

This year, replica good luck seals will be issued to the public from 75 spots to prevent disorder. About 10,000 – 12,000 people are expected to receive seals from the organisation board.

The ceremony is held annually to preserve and bring into play cultural and moral values and traditions of the Vietnamese ancestors, especially the national heroes under the Tran dynasty.

Covering over 10 hectares in Loc Vuong Commune, 80km north of Ha Noi, the Tran Temple comprises of Thien Truong where the 14 Tran kings are worshipped, Co Trach (lower temple) dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300), and Bao Loc Temple, home to the General's tomb and statue.

Tran Hung Dao was famous for his triumphs over the mighty Mongol Yuan dynasty. In Ha Nam Province, six stores of food were set up in the Tran Thuong Temple by the General in 1285 to serve in his second fight against the Mongol Yuan.

Since then, a food ceremony has been held by local people in his honour. The ceremony will be held at 15 spots around the temple and about 50,000 people are expected to attend from 11:05pm on Wednesday night.

The main ceremony will take place officially from 10pm-11pm on Wednesday. – VNS

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Vietnam Festival obtains UNESCO certificate today

The ceremony of Saint Giong Festival is held in the first lunar month in 2010 at Soc Temple in Soc Son District in honor of the mythical hero Giong who ascended to heaven from there

Hanoi is holding a reception ceremony today for UNESCO certificate recognizing the Saint Giong Festival as humankind’s intangible cultural heritage, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Giong Festival, which is located at Soc Temple in Soc Son District, is the Hanoi’s third such heritage honored by the UN agency in 2010, after the 82 stone steles at the Temple of Literature (commemorating doctorates handed out to doctor laureats during the feudal era) and the Thang Long-Hanoi Citadel.

The Saint Giong Festival is held annually in the first lunar month at Soc Temple in Soc Son District in honor of the mythical hero Giong who ascended to heaven from there.

At the age of three, Saint Giong could not talk or walk but miraculously grew into a giant after hearing the King’s appeal to gifted individuals to enter public service and save the country and people from foreign invaders from the north.

After defeating the invading army, the hero went to the top of Soc Mountain and from there to heaven. He has been revered as the most powerful god in local folk belief for thousands of years and is considered the tutelary god for harvest, peace, and prosperity.

The organizers will also officially launch a national action program on protecting and promoting the festival’s values from 2011 to 2015 at the ceremony.

Rituals of Hoi Giong ceremony include:

 

Ceremony usually begins with a young boy waving the head flag to signal the start at the front yard of the Hanoi-based Soc Temple

Following the appeal, the elderly and the dignitaries are escorted to join a parade under parasols to the temple to attend the ceremony

Paper-made statue of elephant is also carried to the temple

The crowd and dignitaries are taken to the Soc Temple where performance shows are going on to welcome their arrival

Dignitaries stand in front of the queue to hold the ceremony and offer gifts to Saint Giong

At the end of the ceremony, people burn a paper-made horse as offering to Saint Giong

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