Opening Ceremony of Lang Suong Temple Festival

On February 12th (the 15th day of the first lunar month), the Lang Suong Temple Festival for the year of the Snake 2025 was held at the Lang Suong Temple National Monument in Dong Trung commune, Thanh Thuy district.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, and other delegates offered incense at the ceremony.

Attending the event were Comrade Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, representatives of the leadership of several provincial departments and agencies, local leaders from within and outside the province, along with a large number of people and tourists from all over who came to visit and pay their respects.

The leaders of Thanh Thuy district beat drums and sounded gongs to officially open the festival.

The Lang Suong Temple is part of a system of relics dedicated to Tan Vien in the area along the Da River and the Northern Midlands plain. Legend says that Mrs. Dinh Thi Den married Mr. Nguyen Cao Hanh, but they were old and childless. One day, a golden dragon descended into the well to drink water, spitting out pearls and jewels. Mrs. Dinh Thi Den took the water home to bathe and suddenly felt light and fragrant. She conceived and later gave birth to Tan Vien at Lang Suong Cave, now located in Dong Trung commune, Thanh Thuy district.

Traditional rituals were performed at the ceremony.

Saint Tan Vien – one of the four immortal deities in Vietnamese folk beliefs – is credited with helping the people control floods, reclaim land, teach rice cultivation, kill wild beasts, and repel foreign invaders. To commemorate his great contributions, people have erected temples to Tan Vien Mountain Saint throughout the country, offering incense and prayers year-round in gratitude. However, only the Lang Suong Temple worships the entire family of Saint Tan Vien, including his father Nguyen Cao Hanh, his mother Dinh Thi Den, his foster mother Ma Thi Cao Son, his wife Princess Ngoc Hoa, and his two generals Cao Son and Quy Minh. The temple has two main festivals annually: the 15th day of the first lunar month (Saint Tan Vien's birthday) and the 25th day of the tenth lunar month (the anniversary of the Saint's mother's death).

The chief priest reads a eulogy expressing gratitude to Saint Tan Vien.

The procession carrying water and the ceremonial palanquin travels from the Da River to Lang Suong Temple.

Following the procession of offerings and water from the Da River bank to Lang Suong Temple, and the opening ceremony with drumming and gong playing, delegates offered incense, flowers, and offerings to express gratitude and commemorate the merits of Saint Tan, his family, and his two generals. This was followed by the sacrificial ceremony and the respectful incense offering. Besides the main activities of the festival, there were also many cultural, artistic, and sporting events, as well as folk games such as throwing the "con" (a type of ball) and smashing the "nieu" (a type of pot)... all aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural identity and traditions of the nation.

The drum performance opened the art program at the festival.

Delegates and visitors from all over the country offered incense during the festival.

Having endured thousands of years of history and numerous renovations and upgrades, Lang Suong Temple still retains its traditional architecture, showcasing a blend of artistic styles from successive eras. With its distinctive cultural and historical value, Lang Suong Temple was classified as a National Historical and Cultural Monument in 2005. In 2018, the traditional Lang Suong Temple Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Decision No. 3325/QD-BVHTTDL dated September 4, 2018.

Thuy Phuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/khai-hoi-den-lang-suong-227781.htm