Tran Temple Festival - The vitality of cultural and historical values

Every year, in the eighth lunar month, people from all over the country flock to the land of Tuc Mac - Thien Truong (Nam Dinh ward) to attend the Tran Temple Festival. In the sacred space of this special national historical and cultural relic complex, the heroic history of the Tran Dynasty seems to revive through solemn rituals, reminding today's descendants of the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", of the eternal vitality of the immortal Dong A spirit.

The palanquin procession from Pho Minh Pagoda to Thien Truong Temple during the Tran Temple Festival. Photo: Khanh Dung

Cultural and historical values

Tran Temple is a place of worship for 14 Tran kings and national hero Tran Hung Dao. In the folk consciousness, it is a vivid testament to the "Dong A heroic spirit" - a symbol of indomitable will, solidarity, and the nation's internal strength in the 13th century. That heroic spirit was nurtured and radiated from the land of Thien Truong, becoming a spiritual driving force contributing to glorious victories, while creating a unique culture with a peaceful and humane mark.

Along with that, the tangible and intangible heritages still preserved at the Tran Temple - Pho Minh Pagoda National Special Relic Site today are concrete evidence of the cultural depth of the Tran Dynasty. If Thien Truong Temple worships 14 Tran Kings; Co Trach Temple, which is said to be built on the old house of National Hero Tran Hung Dao, is the place to worship him and his family and the trusted generals who once "slept on thorns and tasted gall" with him in the battlefields, fought against the Yuan - Mongol invaders... then Trung Hoa Temple (restored on the foundation of the ancient Trung Quang - Trung Hoa palace) is the place where the Supreme Emperors worked, rested, received the Tran Dynasty Emperors from Thang Long citadel to pay their respects and consult on national affairs. This is clearly stated in Phan Huy Chu's "Lich Trieu Hien Chuong Loai Chi". Also talking about this, Tran Nguyen Dan - great-grandson of Grand Tutor Tran Quang Khai, when recreating the poem "Phung canh Thai Thuong Hoang ngu che de Thien Truong phu, Trung Quang cung" by Retired Emperor Tran Nghe Tong, wrote:

"Like the Han palace in Phong and Bai lands made of bamboo.

The retired emperor leisurely strolled with his silver hair…

In his leisure time, the Emperor still thinks about national affairs.

Surely in my sleep, I still dream of going to Thang Long".

All three temples are located next to each other on a plot of land in Tuc Mac village. Next to Tran Temple is Thap Pagoda (Pho Minh Pagoda - Pho Minh Tu) with a 14-storey tower, where the relics of the King - Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong are said to be located.

Not far to the North of Tran Temple - Thap Pagoda is Bao Loc Temple. This place used to belong to An Lac hamlet of An Sinh Vuong Tran Lieu, father of Tran Hung Dao, where he lived and practiced martial arts, military books, and military strategy.

The value of the relic and the Tran Temple Festival is also affirmed through the worship of Saint Tran - a rich system of miracles, legends, rituals and folk performances (bai bong dance). The main death anniversary of Saint Tran (August 20th of the lunar calendar) has penetrated deeply into the spiritual and cultural life of the nation, becoming an important holiday of the local people, connecting spirituality with the people of the whole country. The forms of sacrifice, procession, incense offering and activities of singing, singing, dragon dancing, lion dancing... are the rich cultural sediments, creating the strong and lasting vitality of the festival; expressing honor for the merits of the Tran Kings and arousing community cohesion, fostering the spirit of solidarity, and looking back to the origin. Along with the solemn ceremony is the lively festival with unique folk games. These activities both recreate the folk cultural life and make the festival a cultural meeting place for the whole community.

Over time, Tran Temple Festival has affirmed its enduring vitality with special spiritual values ​​and become a typical intangible cultural heritage of national stature.

Bao Loc Temple, Nam Dinh Ward. Photo: Viet Du

Traditional power circuit continuity

Every year, during each festival season, people from all over flock to Tuc Mac - Thien Truong in a respectful manner to remember their ancestors, with the joy of immersing themselves in the festival atmosphere. That community bond together with spiritual beliefs has created a strong vitality for the festival to go beyond the scope of a local cultural activity, becoming a cultural event of national significance. Not only that, the Tran Temple Festival also has a profound educational meaning for future generations. For the young generation, it is the most intuitive and vivid lesson about the tradition of patriotism, about the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", contributing to nurturing the awareness, feelings and national pride in the young generation.

In the context of integration, in recent years, the Department of Culture and local authorities have paid special attention to the organization and management of festivals. Innovation in the organization of the Tran Temple Festival has been implemented, infrastructure and religious works have been invested in, festival space has been expanded, and civilized lifestyle in the festival has been promoted. The organization and management of festivals have been strengthened and professionalized... These efforts have created the image of a festival that is both solemn, civilized, and rich in identity.

In 2025, from October 1 to October 11 (ie August 10 to August 20 of the lunar calendar), the People's Committee of Nam Dinh Ward hosted the Tran Temple Festival at two locations: the Tran Temple - Pagoda Tower National Monument and Bao Loc Temple National Monument. At Tran Temple, from the morning of September 16 (ie July 25 of the lunar calendar), the Flag Raising Ceremony was held and on the morning of September 22 (ie August 1 of the lunar calendar), the Temple Opening Ceremony - Festival Opening Ceremony was held. On October 11 (ie August 20 of the lunar calendar), the incense offering and sacrificial ceremonies will take place at Tran Temple. This year, to focus on overcoming the consequences of storms No. 10 and 11, the People's Committee of Nam Dinh Ward decided to stop organizing cultural and artistic activities.

Pilgrimage to Tran Temple every August of the lunar calendar, each person seems to be empowered by faith and national pride. The cultural values ​​of the Tran Dynasty that are still imprinted are the spiritual foundation, the endogenous resource that encourages today's generation to continue to create and enrich the cultural traditions of their homeland and country.

Minh Thuan

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/le-hoi-den-tran-suc-song-cua-nhung-gia-tri-van-hoa-lich-su-251010103116071.html