Opening Ceremony of the Ho Son Temple Festival 2026

On the evening of May 24th, the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lien Minh commune solemnly organized the opening ceremony of the Ho Son Pagoda Festival 2026, commemorating the 686th anniversary of the incarnation of the Divine Mother of the Tran Dynasty, Princess Huyen Tran. Comrade Pham Gia Tuc, Member of the Political Bureau and Standing Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, sent a congratulatory wreath.

An excerpt from the Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) play "Nun Huong Trang" recreates the life and great contributions of Princess Huyen Tran.

Comrade Bui Huu Duoc, Director of the Buddhist Affairs Department, Government Religious Affairs Committee, and other delegates attended the opening ceremony of the festival.

Delegates attending the opening ceremony of the festival.

Attending the opening ceremony of the festival were comrades Bui Huu Duoc, Director of the Buddhist Affairs Department, Government Religious Affairs Committee; Tran Van Chung, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, former Chairman of the People's Council of Nam Dinh province (old); Tran Minh Oanh, former Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dinh province (old); Tran Anh Dung, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the province; Tran Minh Thang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Nam Dinh ward; Mai Thanh Long, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the People's Council of the province; Ha Lan Anh, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the province; Nguyen Toan Thang, Provincial Party Committee member, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Tien Dung, Provincial Party Committee member, Director of the Department of Education and Training; representatives of leaders of departments, agencies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province; leaders of Lien Minh commune, along with a large number of people and tourists.

The leader of Lien Minh commune delivered the opening speech for the festival.

In his opening remarks at the festival, the leader of Lien Minh commune emphasized: The Ho Son Pagoda Festival is not only a cultural event of significant importance in the spiritual life of the people, but also demonstrates the continuity in the journey of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the homeland. Through this, it contributes to educating about patriotic traditions, national pride, and raising awareness of responsibility in the work of preserving cultural heritage.

Ho Son Pagoda is a famous cultural and spiritual landmark of the locality, preserving many values ​​of architecture, beliefs, and national history. It is also the place of worship for Princess Huyen Tran, who made great contributions to expanding the territory of Dai Viet southward.

According to historical records: Princess Huyền Trân was the daughter of King Trần Nhân Tông. In 1306, the diplomatic marriage between Princess Huyền Trân and King Chế Mân of Champa contributed to Đại Việt's acquisition of the two provinces of Ô and Ri, expanding its territory to the area that is now Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế.

Later, Princess Huyền Trân renounced worldly life and became a nun with the Dharma name Hương Tràng. She spent many years practicing Buddhism, healing the sick, and saving lives, earning the respect of the people for her virtue and compassion. After her passing, the local people mourned her and revered her as a Divine Mother, erecting a shrine next to Hổ Sơn Pagoda to commemorate her contributions and offer incense and prayers.

Throughout many feudal dynasties, Princess Huyền Trân was bestowed the title of guardian deity protecting the nation and its people. To commemorate her contributions to Đại Việt and the local people, every year on the 9th day of the 4th lunar month, the people of the region organize the Hổ Sơn Temple Festival with many traditional rituals and unique cultural activities.

Comrade Tran Anh Dung, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, beat the drum to officially open the festival.

At the opening ceremony, monks and delegates together performed the ritual of releasing floating lanterns to pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, the well-being of the people, and to express gratitude for the merits of their ancestors who contributed to the nation and its people.

Delegates performed the ritual of passing on the torch before releasing floating lanterns at the opening ceremony.

This year's Ho Son Pagoda Festival took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the nation's fine traditional cultural values; and at the same time, promoting the image of Ninh Binh's homeland and people to tourists from near and far.

Hoa Hien-Nguyen Huy

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/khai-mac-le-hoi-chua-ho-son-nam-2026-260524235022674.html