Lao Cai: Arousing awareness of protecting the heritage value of the Dong Cuong Temple New Rice Festival

Every year, on the day of the Cat in the 9th lunar month, the government and people of Dong Cuong commune, Lao Cai province enthusiastically organize the Dong Cuong Temple New Rice Festival.

This is a traditional activity to summarize a year of work and production, the people of the homeland and tourists express their gratitude to the Mother Goddess of the Mountains, the supernatural beings who bless favorable weather, bountiful crops, a prosperous and happy life.

Mr. Le Thanh Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Cuong Commune, said that this year, the New Rice Festival at Dong Cuong Temple takes place from October 24-25 (September 4-5, At Ty year).

However, due to the impact of storm No. 10, which caused severe flooding at the Dong Cuong Temple Relic Site, causing damage to facilities and the environmental landscape, this year, the commune adjusted the scale of the Dong Cuong Temple New Rice Festival, only organizing the ceremony, not the festival, but still unique with a series of rituals such as the ceremony to welcome Mr. Mo to the temple, the incense offering ceremony, the weekly feast ceremony, the black buffalo slaughter ceremony and the main feast ceremony.

The ceremonies were performed thoughtfully and solemnly, demonstrating the spirit of preserving, honoring and promoting the traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups here.

New Rice Ceremony at Dong Cuong Temple. (Photo: VNA)

As part of the traditional rituals, the weekly feast offering ceremony is an important ritual, with the meaning of informing the Mother Goddess of the Mountain and the Gods about the full preparation of offerings, and asking for a thanksgiving feast after a year of bountiful crops, peace for the people, and prosperity.

The ceremony took place on the afternoon of October 24 (September 4th of the lunar calendar) at the main temple of Dong Cuong Linh Ung Palace. All offerings were handmade by local people, demonstrating solidarity and deep gratitude.

In recent years, Dong Cuong Temple has become a spiritual and religious highlight for many people and tourists from all over the world on their journey of spiritual and cultural tourism , remembering their roots.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the country make pilgrimages to the Temple of the Second Mother Goddess to offer incense to the Mother Goddess and pray for national peace, prosperity, wealth, and peace in life.

Mr. Cao Van Tuan, a tourist from Hanoi , shared that he found the weekly worship ritual very unique, creating a sacred festival space imbued with the identity of the highlands. This is an opportunity for him to express his wishes for a peaceful new year for his family and an increasingly prosperous life.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien, a tourist from Phu Tho, said that every year, near the New Rice Festival at Dong Cuong Temple, she takes time to come and make offerings. For her, this is a spiritual support, a place to send wishes for health, peace and luck for herself and her loved ones.

In particular, every time she comes to the Festival, the ritual she looks forward to the most is the Black Buffalo Slaughter Ceremony and the New Rice Party which will take place at 0:00 on October 25 (ie September 5 of the lunar calendar).

With the meaning of honoring and preserving traditional cultural values, the Dong Cuong Temple New Rice Festival in 2025 evokes the tradition of remembering the source of drinking water, community solidarity, and awareness of protecting intangible cultural heritage values imbued with national identity.

The festival also contributes to educating the tradition of patriotism, love for homeland, and national pride among the people; enhancing the spirit of solidarity, striving and building the homeland and country to become increasingly rich, beautiful and civilized.

Dong Cuong Temple is an ancient temple located on the Red River in Ben Den village, Dong Cuong commune, old Van Yen district, which has long been famous for its sacredness. The main temple worships the Second Mother of the Upper Realm - the second Mother in the Three Holy Mothers, and is also the place to worship national heroes who contributed to the resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol army in the 18th century, along with the Tay leaders who heroically sacrificed their lives in the uprising against the French colonialists in the year of Giap Dan 1914.

Through the ups and downs of history, the Temple was restored and embellished four times.

In 2009, the Temple was recognized as a national historical-cultural relic; on January 16, 2023, Dong Cuong Temple Festival was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The unique feature of Dong Cuong Mother Goddess worship is the harmony of Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship with the unique culture of the indigenous Tay Khao ethnic group./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/lao-cai-khoi-day-y-thuc-bao-ve-gia-tri-di-san-le-hoi-com-moi-den-dong-cuong-post1072444.vnp