Festival connecting community consciousness

Many studies have shown that, with the process of formation and development of 200 years, Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain is still standing firm with time. That steadfastness comes from the belief that has never faded in the minds of the indigenous people and all the believers who have known her and been blessed by her. That belief has a deep origin, not simply a temporary, unreasonable belief. It is that steadfast belief that connects people together, to the heritage of Via Ba.

According to the late writer Trinh Buu Hoai (who is deeply attached to Chau Doc land), the Southwest region has many Ba Chua Xu temples, formed from the time of reclamation, which are the spiritual support for migrants facing harsh nature, many epidemics and precarious life. Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain is the most magnificent temple in the country, famous for its sacredness, attracting the most pilgrims in the country, with millions of people coming to worship. After the Lady's Festival was recognized as a national festival in 2001, since 2002, the Festival to bring the Lady's statue from the top of the mountain to the temple has been organized according to folk legend.

The ceremony began at 3 p.m. on the 22nd day of the fourth lunar month at the Martyrs' Stele House at the foot of Sam Mountain. First were local leaders, the Management Board of Sam Mountain Mausoleum, elders, dignitaries, and delegates offering incense. Next was a musical and dance performance recreating the ancient life of the Chau Doc border region, praising the scenic relics of Sam Mountain. Half an hour later, the palanquin bearers along with all the delegates, pilgrims, and people set off up the mountain to the bustling sound of drums and gongs from the lion dance troupes. The procession carrying the Lady's statue, numbering in the thousands, led by elders and the Management Board of the Mausoleum, took an hour and a half to reach the stone pedestal where the Lady's statue once stood. One year, the leading group reached the top of the mountain, but the "tail" was still at the foot of the mountain. The road up the mountain was 3km long, and was packed with attendees.

The ceremony to bring the statue of the Lady down from Sam Mountain. Photo: GIA KHÁNH

Regardless of the rain, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, sometimes heavy, sometimes light (always appearing on the 22nd day of the 4th lunar month every year), the group of people slowly "reached the finish line". When the time for the ceremony comes, the rain will definitely stop. Delegates and elders offer incense and bow at the stone pedestal; the representative of the group carries the crown and robe (instead of the Lady's statue) onto a palanquin for 9 girls wearing white ao dai to carry down the mountain. At 7 pm, the group returns to the temple yard. A short dramatization program along with a song and dance performance praising the festival season and the beauty of Chau Doc homeland... are performed very well.

After decades, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain is still preserved and practiced through many generations in Chau Doc. This is a big festival, imbued with the cultural identity of the residents of the Southwest region. The festival is held from the 23rd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month every year, the main festival day is the 25th of the fourth lunar month, demonstrating the identity and continuity of the Kinh community in the process of cultural exchange with the Chinese, Cham, and Khmer people; the ceremonies are performed according to traditional rituals.

The most impressive thing, the clearest evidence of the community's deep beliefs, is that pilgrims offer many rich, diverse and valuable gifts and souvenirs. People offer Her colorful dresses, crowns, and fans, embroidered with colorful dragons and phoenixes, worth millions to hundreds of millions of dong. There are many dresses worth taels of gold. Most of the items in the temple are also donated by visitors, such as: lacquered tables and chairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl, incense sticks, and very large candles with embossed dragons and phoenixes 1-2 meters high.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Vuong (Captain of the Worship Team of the Sam Mountain Temple Management Board, Head of the Lady Bathing Team) carefully brought many precious items from guests to offer to the Lady before the Lady Bathing ceremony (night of the 23rd, early morning of the 24th of the 4th lunar month). This year, people admired 4 gold cups, 4 pairs of gold chopsticks, total weight of more than 140 taels of 9999 gold; 999 gold coins, engraved with the words "Ba Chua Xu Temple of Sam Mountain - Chau Doc - An Giang", "Chua Xu Thanh Mau". The appearance of the famous 162 taels of gold necklace was indispensable. The necklace was designed with 3 layers, crafted by a gold, silver and gemstone company in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014. "Many individuals and organizations are willing to offer the Lady what they have, because they firmly believe that, in the future, they will be blessed by the Lady, receiving more than when they give" - ​​Ms. Vuong shared.

Flower artist Nguyen Thi Ut turns 65. For the past decade, every year during the Lady's Via season, she travels from Ho Chi Minh City to Chau Doc for 2 days, always busy decorating the Lady's palanquin and many areas in the Lady's temple. "I sell fresh flowers, and once by chance I was invited to decorate the Lady's palanquin. Since then, no matter what, I have returned every year as scheduled, without interruption. When arranging flowers for the Lady, I have to choose the most beautiful, freshest peonies and orchids, with the most outstanding shapes, expressing the sincerity of the arranger and the person offering the flowers," she said.

The festival of Ba Chua Xu in Sam mountain is a very special community activity. People come to Ba Chua Xu on holidays, in addition to praying for her protection, it also has the meaning of "compensating for fun" after days of hard work. There, when participating in the festival, they can immerse themselves in the community and relieve pressure. The most important thing is to unite the community. Free bread, dumplings, and mineral water; smiles and words of encouragement throughout the journey up and down Sam mountain; a long day of gathering to serve the work of sewing clothes, cooking water for the Lady's bath... bring people closer together, even though they are all from all over the country.

In 2023, at the Vietnam - India Economic and Cultural Exchange Forum, the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations and the India Council for Global Trade and Technology honored the Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain as "Asia- Pacific Outstanding Cultural Activity". In 2024, the Festival was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is the first traditional festival of the Mekong Delta to receive this honor. At the same time, it is also the pride of the people of An Giang in particular and the people of the whole country in general. Because the honored heritage contributes significantly to affirming the diversity and rich values ​​of Vietnamese ethnic culture in the context of development and integration. Above all, the ethnic communities in Vietnam will continue to be connected in the new period, with new pride.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/le-hoi-ket-noi-tam-thuc-cong-dong-a421311.html