What's new in Keo Pagoda Festival 2024?

Keo Pagoda (literally Than Quang Tu) is located in Duy Nhat commune, Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province. The pagoda was built in 1632, on a total area of ​​41,561.9m2, including 17 structures with 128 compartments, built in balance in the typical architectural style of "Inner public, outer private".

Panoramic view of Keo Pagoda (Duy Nhat commune, Vu Thu district, Thai Binh province) from above.

Standing out in the temple grounds are architectural works such as: Tam Quan, Buddha Temple, Holy Temple, liberation court, tower garden...

In addition to worshiping Buddha, Keo Pagoda also worships Saints (formerly Buddha, later Saints). The Saint worshiped is Saint Duong Khong Lo, a monk of the Ly Dynasty who had a profound understanding of Buddhism and contributed to the construction of the pagoda.

On April 28, 1962, Keo Pagoda was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. In September 2012, Keo Pagoda was recognized as a Special National Relic.

Talking to Giao Thong Newspaper reporter, Ms. Pham Thi Binh, Deputy Head of Keo Pagoda Relic Management Board, said that this year, Vu Thu district will continue to organize the Keo Pagoda autumn festival at the district level, taking place for 8 days, from October 12 to October 19, 2024 (ie September 10 to September 17, Giap Thin year).

The new feature is that this year's festival will be raised in scale to match the position and value of this special national relic.

During the festival days, in addition to traditional rituals, there are also cultural activities, arts, and folk games, arranged by the Organizing Committee during the day as well as in the evening.

The opening night of Keo Pagoda Festival takes place at 7:30 p.m. on October 12 (September 10th lunar calendar).

Vu Thu district repaired the road to Keo pagoda.

Also during the 2024 Autumn Keo Pagoda Festival, Vu Thu district organized a Fair to introduce and promote OCOP products and key products, with a scale of 130 booths including commercial booths, folk food areas, display areas to introduce OCOP products and key products of districts in the province and outside the province.

Ms. Pham Thi Nhu Phong, Chairwoman of Vu Thu District People's Committee, said that the Keo Pagoda Relic Management Board is currently coordinating with local authorities to renovate the special national relic Keo Pagoda to welcome the Keo Pagoda Festival in the fall of 2024.

In late September 2024, workers were assembling the last bricks to complete the sidewalk leading to Keo Pagoda.

Materials, machinery, equipment, and environmental sanitation workers were also fully concentrated, urgently implementing and completing the renovation, beautification, and landscape beautification projects to make Keo Pagoda space more beautiful, wider, and more impressive before the opening day of the festival.

Workers are rushing to complete the sidewalk renovation project leading to Keo Pagoda.

The district mobilized localities to hang festival flags along the roads to Keo Pagoda to create an exciting atmosphere for the festival.

Along with that, the District Youth Union and school unions mobilized union members, youth, and students to conduct a general environmental cleaning of the entire Keo Pagoda campus and surrounding areas.

Currently, the district is urgently implementing to soon complete the expansion of the parking lot, festival decoration, reception work, ensuring traffic safety, security and order before, during and after the festival.

"We will resolutely not allow street vending in the temple grounds, in order to create an open space for visitors to comfortably worship Buddha and experience festival activities," said Ms. Phong.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/le-hoi-chua-keo-nam-2024-co-gi-moi-192240930170005621.htm