Ambassadors of various countries enjoy the experience of protecting and promoting the values ​​of the Vietnamese practice of worshiping the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms.

(To Quoc) - On February 7, 2025 (the 10th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake), a cultural exchange program celebrating the Spring Festival 2025 took place at Pho Quang Linh Tu (Mother Goddess Temple of Pho Co), Song Cong City, Thai Nguyen Province. The program was attended by ambassadors from six countries: Ukraine, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Morocco, and Spain, aiming to learn about "Protecting and promoting the value of the practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms in Vietnam."

Attending the program were Mr. Gaman Oleksandr, Ambassador of Ukraine; Mr. Keijo Novarto, Ambassador of Finland; Ms. Joanna Skoczek, Head of the Polish Embassy Delegation; Mr. Hynek Kmoniček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic; Mr. Jamale Chouaibi, Ambassador of Morocco; and Ms. Carmen Cano de Lasala, Ambassador of Spain. During the program, the Ambassadors had the opportunity to visit and learn about the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship tradition through presentations on the Three Holy Mother Goddesses; and experience participating in the Hầu Đồng ritual.

Ambassadors from six countries learn about and experience the Vietnamese practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms.

At the program, Meritorious Artisan Dang Ngoc Anh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Mother Goddess Research Institute, shared: The belief in worshipping the Three-Realm Mother Goddess is not only a unique cultural element of the Vietnamese people, but also an indispensable part of the community's spiritual life. This belief focuses on worshipping deities, including the Mother Goddess – a symbol of protection, safeguarding, and bringing good fortune to people. In the belief in worshipping the Mother Goddess, each Holy Mother has her own characteristics and is worshipped to pray for health, wealth, and peace for the family and the nation.

The Mother Goddess religion is an indigenous belief with ancient origins, having existed throughout the long period of feudal history, especially from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It has flourished in contemporary society, in the plains, cities, and mountainous regions, contributing to the diverse and rich tapestry of Vietnamese religions and beliefs.

The worship of Mother Goddess is not merely a religious practice, but also a distinctive cultural feature that reflects the connection between humans and nature, the earth, and supernatural forces. It reflects the soul and feelings of the Vietnamese people towards their mother, the earth, the sky, and traditional cultural values. Through legends, historical events, rich rituals, and unique festivals, the worship of Mother Goddess has become a living museum, reflecting diverse aspects of traditional culture that need to be preserved and promoted for future generations. At the same time, the worship of Mother Goddess has always adapted to changing historical circumstances, blending with many other religions, contributing to the multifaceted cultural landscape of the nation.

Distinguished artisan Dang Ngoc Anh shares insights on the heritage of the practice of worshipping Mother Goddess.

The Hầu Đồng ritual is the most important ceremony in the practice of the Tam Phủ Mother Goddess worship in Vietnam. The Hầu Đồng ritual embodies a rich system of knowledge and culture, encompassing activities that integrate cultural and artistic values ​​accumulated over generations by the people, along with a treasure trove of heritage such as festivals, spirit possession rituals, folk singing, prayers, and folk cultural elements like costumes, music , and dance. The artistic combination of these elements has created a "living museum" for preserving the historical values ​​and cultural identity of the Vietnamese people in literature, music, dance, fine arts, architecture, folk festivals, and performing arts.

In particular, the Hầu bóng - Lên đồng ritual has given rise to the hát văn music genre, one of the two typical folk song genres of the Vietnamese people, contributing to the world's musical heritage. Through the process of preservation and development, the Mother Goddess worship belief has brought together the main elements of folk culture such as: folk literary arts, folk performing arts, folk visual arts, festivals, and customs. Therefore, the practice of spirit mediumship is considered by international cultural experts as a "living treasure of Vietnamese cultural heritage". Consequently, in December 2016, UNESCO recognized "The Practice of the Mother Goddess Worship of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese People" as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ambassadors from six countries learn about and experience the Vietnamese practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms.

Distinguished artisan Dang Ngoc Anh added that this is an opportunity for ambassadors in particular and international friends in general to understand the Mother Goddess worship and Vietnamese culture. She hopes that the Mother Goddess worship will spread to other countries so that Vietnamese expatriates living abroad and people in other countries can understand the unique values ​​of Vietnamese culture in general and the Mother Goddess worship in particular.

Distinguished artisan Dang Ngoc Anh performs the spirit medium ritual.

Sharing her feelings about the Mother Goddess worship tradition, Mrs. Iryna Gaman, wife of the Ukrainian Ambassador, said: "We are extremely happy to experience a very special belief, an elaborate cultural work of Vietnam. During the practice, the artisans embodied historical and religious figures of your country, and we were able to experience it alongside them. This is a cultural heritage of great value and significance to Vietnam, preserved and passed down for more than 500 years. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to experience and understand more about Vietnamese culture, and from that, to love your country even more and feel closer to it. The program has opened the door in our hearts to Vietnam."

Finnish Ambassador Keijo Novarto shared this at the program.

Mrs. Iryna Gaman, wife of the Ukrainian Ambassador, shared her feelings about the Mother Goddess worship tradition.

Having worked in Vietnam for four years, Finnish Ambassador Keijo Novarto said this was his first time learning about and experiencing the Vietnamese tradition of worshipping the Mother Goddess. "I can't express how delighted I am. Our country also has its own religions and beliefs. But with the Mother Goddess worship, I feel a profound value: the giving, the nurturing, and the protection of the Mother. I know this is spring, the beginning of your festival season and the start of a new year. Experiencing these rituals, I truly gained new knowledge, new feelings, and an incredibly beautiful spiritual and cultural aspect. What surprised us was your preservation of culture and the sharing of cultural values. You are preserving the cultural values ​​and heritage that UNESCO has inscribed so well," the Ambassador shared.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/dai-su-cac-nuoc-thich-thu-trai-nghiem-bao-ve-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-thuc-hanh-tin-nguong-tho-mau-tam-phu-cua-nguoi-viet-20250207213744139.htm