The unique Water Procession Ceremony at the beginning of the year.

The unique New Year's Water Procession is one of the traditional rituals that kicks off the five-day Tran Temple Festival. The water procession at the Tran Temple Festival in Thai Binh is a form of folk culture, a distinctive spiritual ritual. The ceremonies not only pray for favorable weather and harmony between yin and yang, but also express gratitude to the ancestors of the Tran dynasty, a kingdom that originated from fishing and was closely associated with the rivers and waterways of this region.

Author Vu Van Long, with his photo series "The Unique Water Procession Ceremony at the Beginning of the Year," recreates the life of the Tran Dynasty ancestors before they ascended to the throne, intertwined with fishing on the rivers and waterways. Today, this ceremony has become a ritual associated with the belief in praying for water, a bountiful harvest, and reporting achievements to the kings after a year of production. The photo series was submitted by the author to the Happy Vietnam Photo and Video Contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

The water procession at the Tran Temple Festival in Thai Binh is a form of folk culture, a unique spiritual ritual with the hope of praying for favorable weather and harmony between yin and yang; it also signifies gratitude to the ancestors of the Tran dynasty, a royal family that originated from fishing and was closely associated with rivers and waterways. This ceremony is performed before the official opening ceremony of the Tran Temple Festival in Thai Binh.

The young men of Tien Duc commune were the ones who directly carried the palanquin containing the sacred water vessel to Tran Temple.

Although it had been raining lightly since morning, it didn't significantly affect the procession.

According to ancient beliefs, water was one of the most important elements in the development of agriculture, strongly influencing crops and the lives of farmers.

Leading the procession was the lion dance troupe, followed by the palanquin carrying the ancestral figures of the Tran dynasty: Tran Kinh, Tran Hap, Tran Ly, Tran Thua, and Grand Tutor Tran Thu Do. This was followed by processions from villages and communes within and outside the district.

Therefore, the people organize the water procession with utmost reverence. The water procession begins when the elders respectfully light incense and invite the spirits of the Tran dynasty kings to witness the ceremony.