Keo Pagoda Festival in Autumn 2025: "Divine Light" Light

In 2012, Keo Pagoda (formerly Duy Nhat Commune, Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province, currently Vu Tien Commune, Hung Yen Province) was recognized as a special national monument. In 2017, Keo Pagoda Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. In 2021, Keo Pagoda's altar was recognized as a national treasure. These successive marks demonstrate the proud continuity and unique value of the nearly 400-year-old ancient pagoda. The Keo Pagoda Festival in the fall is now a major festival in the Red River Delta.

Báo Hưng Yên•30/10/2025

Keo Pagoda, whose Chinese name is Than Quang Tu, is located on flat land. According to the legend: In 1061, during the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong, Zen Master Duong Khong Lo built Nghiem Quang Pagoda as a place to hide, preach the Dharma, protect the country and bring peace to the people. The Zen Master had the merit of curing King Ly Thanh Tong's illness, so the King graciously appointed him as the National Master of the Ly Dynasty. In the year of Giap Tuat (1094), during the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong, the Holy Father National Master Duong Khong Lo passed away at the age of 79. In 1167, King Ly Anh Tong issued an edict to change the name of Nghiem Quang Pagoda to Than Quang Pagoda to commemorate and show gratitude for the Zen Master's merit. The ancient Than Quang Pagoda existed for 500 years, going through many events and ups and downs, until the year of Tan Hoi (1611) when a great flood washed away the people of Keo Hamlet. The people of Keo Hamlet had to migrate to another place and divided into 2 villages. Since then, the people in the 2 villages mobilized their hearts to rebuild the pagoda. According to the remaining stele, Keo Pagoda was built by the Le - Trinh Dynasty official, Duke Hoang Nhan Dung, and his wife, Mrs. Lai Thi Ngoc Le, asking Lord Trinh for 100 ironwood trees to build the pagoda, and other materials were contributed by the people. The entire Keo Pagoda project was completed in 1632. Keo Pagoda was built in the style of "inner public, outer private", with Buddha in front and Saint in the back. Currently, there are 17 structures with 128 rooms. Although the pagoda has been renovated and embellished many times, it still retains its unique architectural identity from the Le Trung Hung period (17th century).

Bustling procession of Saint Duong Khong Lo in Keo Pagoda festival in autumn.

This year, the Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival is organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. During the festival from October 30 to November 4 (September 10 to 15, At Ty year), the ceremonial activities are carried out according to the traditional rituals that have been preserved by generations of Keo village. When participating in Keo Pagoda festival, visitors have the opportunity to learn about rituals such as: Opening ceremony, Saint procession, puppet show, frog dance, rowing boat to pay homage to Saint, lantern festival, practice of Mother Goddess worship rituals and sacrificial activities of worshiping groups, people, Buddhist followers... To ensure the safety of visitors during the Keo Pagoda festival, the Relic Management Board has actively coordinated with local authorities to prepare the best conditions, with special attention to environmental sanitation, ensuring security and order, traffic safety, food hygiene and safety, fire and explosion prevention and fighting... At the same time, meetings are held and disseminated to business households, strictly prohibiting soliciting tourists to buy goods and selling poor quality goods.

The highlight of the opening ceremony of Keo Pagoda Festival 2025 is the special art program with the theme "Divine Light" - inspired by the dharma name of Zen Master Duong Khong Lo - National Master of the Ly Dynasty. The art program includes 3 parts with traditional art forms such as Cheo, rowing, frog dancing, puppetry... vividly recreated through the performances of professional artists and actors. Meritorious Artist Nguyen Quang Lai, Deputy Director of the Provincial Cheo Theater, expressed: "Participating in the special art program at the Keo Pagoda Festival in the fall, the artists of the Provincial Cheo Theater, together with artists of art troupes, have made great efforts to prepare and perform with deep pride, wishing to join the people of the homeland in preserving and conserving the national cultural identity at the special national relic of Keo Pagoda". Venerable Thich Thanh Quang, abbot of Keo Pagoda, emphasized: With the name "Divine Light", the art program has the meaning of spreading the light of love, compassion, joy, equanimity and the cultural and humanistic values of Buddha, Saint Khong Lo Zen Master, a deity worshiped by local people.

People of Keo village participate in unique sacrificial rituals during the Keo Pagoda festival in autumn.

The new point of this year's festival is that throughout the days, cultural and artistic performances and folk games are also held enthusiastically, bringing visitors a traditional cultural space imbued with national identity. Enjoying the autumn festival, visitors can watch the festival cruise, exchange with rowing clubs, compete in betel leaf making contests... Going to Keo Pagoda in the fall has become the desire not only of every resident of Vu Tien commune to bring pride to their homeland but also a destination inviting visitors from near and far to experience unique folk culture so that the special national relic Keo Pagoda will always be one of the top spiritual and cultural tourism destinations of the province.