On the morning of February 23 (January 14, Giap Thin year), at the Hoa Lieu Temple - Pagoda Historical and Cultural Relic Site in Hoa Lieu village, Thuan Thien commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city, the 2024 Minh The Festival took place.
The Minh The festival originated during the Mac Dynasty (around the middle of the 16th century). According to legend, the wife of the retired Emperor Mac Dang Dung, the Empress Dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan, went to Lan Nieu hamlet (now Hoa Lieu village) to donate money and raise funds to renovate the ancient pagoda and buy fields.
The master of ceremonies reads the Minh The proclamation at the festival. Photo: L.Doan
The village called this field "Holy land", part of the area was reserved for the temple, part was used for festivals, the rest was divided for the villagers to cultivate and enjoy the benefits and to establish a "charity" fund, in case of famine, to help the poor.
From here, Empress Dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan, along with dignitaries and villagers, created a proclamation, Hoi Minh The, stipulating that public affairs should be given top priority.
To preserve this unique traditional festival and remember the merits of Queen Mother Vu Thi Ngoc Toan, every year, the people of Hoa Lieu village organize the Minh The Festival lasting for 3 days, from the 14th to the 16th of the first lunar month.
The most important ritual of the festival attracts the attention of many local people, visitors, dignitaries, and village elders who drink wine mixed with rooster's blood and "swear not to be corrupt".
During the ceremony, after offering incense, flowers, wine, and water to the gods, the officiant stands in front of the altar and recites the Minh The proclamation: “Whether you are a person with power in the village, a teacher, or a farmer, you must use good words and reason to teach your children to do good things and follow the village's customs and traditions. If you use your power to do evil, or take public property for your own use, I pray to the gods to strike you down.” Then, everyone attending the ceremony raises their hands and shouts, “Just like the oath.”
During the Minh The Festival, when taking the oath, a sacred knife is given to the celebrant. The celebrant uses this knife to draw a symbolic circle in front of the oath stand, inserts the knife into the center of the circle, and then uses this sacred knife to cut the chicken's throat. The chicken-cutting ceremony has been held according to ancient tradition.
The rooster's blood is mixed into a large jar of wine, and each person passes it around and takes a sip to affirm the solidarity of the whole community in fulfilling their oath.
The ritual of drinking “Golden Rooster Blood Wine” represents unity in fulfilling the oath. Photo: L.Doan
The proclamation of the Minh The is short and concise but imbued with humanistic values and highlights moral values, integrity, and honesty, with profound educational significance.
In 2017, the Minh The Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism . In recent years, the Minh The Festival has attracted a large number of people and tourists from all over the world.
T.Toan
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