Highlights of the Dien Hue Nam Festival

This year's Hue Nam Temple Festival, held on April 18th and 19th (corresponding to the 2nd and 3rd days of the 3rd lunar month), is one of the typical spiritual and cultural events of Hue. The festival not only holds religious significance but also contributes to the preservation and promotion of national intangible cultural heritage, especially the worship of the Three Mother Goddesses.

The Hue Nam Temple Festival, also known as the Hon Chen Temple Festival, takes place at Hue Nam Temple, a sacred temple located on Ngoc Tran Mountain, beside the picturesque Perfume River. The festival space stretches from the city center to the mountainous and riverside areas, creating a cultural landscape that is both majestic and poetic.

This festival is deeply rooted in folk beliefs, associated with the worship of the Holy Mother Thien YA Na – a deity revered by the people as the "Mother of the Land". This belief is a unique blend of Vietnamese culture and the influence of Cham culture, creating historical depth and a distinct identity for the festival.

The festival is held twice a year, in the third and seventh months of the lunar calendar, with the third month being the main event, attracting a large number of locals and tourists. It is also an opportunity for the community to express their reverence and pray for peace, prosperity, and harmonious lives.

The festival's objectives extend beyond religious activities to include educating about patriotic traditions, national pride, and the principle of "remembering the source when drinking water." Simultaneously, the festival honors the contributions of our ancestors and promotes the historical and architectural value of the site.

A highlight of the festival is the solemnity of the rituals, preserving traditional values. Activities such as the procession of the Mother Goddess, sacrificial ceremonies, and spirit medium rituals are performed with reverence, while eliminating elements that are offensive or inappropriate to Vietnamese customs and traditions.

This year's festival is expected to attract between 6,000 and 10,000 participants, demonstrating the event's great appeal. This is also an opportunity for Hue to gradually develop the festival into a distinctive cultural and spiritual tourism product, contributing to the sustainable development of the local economy .

Organizational work was carried out meticulously, ensuring security and order, traffic safety, fire prevention and control, and environmental sanitation. Resource mobilization was conducted on the principles of voluntariness, openness, and transparency, avoiding any negative practices or profiteering.

The highlight of the festival is the procession on the morning of April 18th, when the land procession starts from the Temple of the Holy Mother at 352 Chi Lang Street, joining the boat procession on the Perfume River to converge at Thuong Bac Park. After the Announcement Ceremony, the procession continues by boat to Hue Nam Temple, creating a vibrant and sacred scene.

Beyond its spiritual significance, the festival impresses with its vibrant costumes, music, and rituals. All these elements blend together to create a culturally rich and symbolic space, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of the unique heritage values of the ancient capital of Hue.