On February 19 (January 10, the year of the Dragon), a ceremony to welcome the gods took place on the Dong Nai River and on the streets of Bien Hoa City, attracting about 1,000 participants.
Nearly 1,000 people participate in the Giap Thin 2024 spring god welcoming ceremony
This activity is part of the Ong Pagoda festival series in 2024, taking place over 5 days (from February 18 to 22, or January 9 to 13 of the lunar calendar) organized by That Phu Co Mieu (also known as Ong Pagoda, Hiep Hoa Ward, Bien Hoa City) in coordination with functional departments of Dong Nai province.
The procession departs from Ong Pagoda on 10 boats, moves on Dong Nai River, passes Ghenh Bridge, Hoa An Bridge, then goes ashore, moves by road through the streets along Dong Nai River and Bien Hoa market.
The procession moves on the Dong Nai River
According to the Board of Directors of the Seven Palaces Ancient Temple, the welcoming ceremony is a form of bringing folk gods and heroes who pioneered and developed the Bien Hoa land to "visit" the lives of the people on the occasion of the New Year. Through that, they pray for a year of favorable weather, national peace and prosperity.
People moving on the road...
...through the streets along the Dong Nai River and Bien Hoa market
Ong Pagoda was built in 1684, located on the bank of Dong Nai River, near Ghenh Bridge (Bien Hoa City). This is the earliest pagoda in the South, marking a historical milestone in the coexistence of the Vietnamese and Chinese communities in the process of reclaiming, settling, and protecting the land of Bien Hoa - Dong Nai.
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