Centennial Festival

Religious belief

According to Huynh Van Thanh, Head of the Management Board of Ba Chua Xu Bau Muop Temple, the temple was established in 1851 by Mr. Doan Minh Huyen (Buddhist Master Tay An) and his disciples as a place of worship for the people during the land reclamation period of the Bay Nui area. For more than 170 years, the temple has been a place where generations of local people have placed their faith in the face of changing times.

“Every year, on the occasion of the festival or Tet, people eagerly bring offerings, incense and flowers to worship the Lady, praying for a prosperous and peaceful life. Folklore believes that the Lady of the Land is an omnipotent deity, a spiritual support for everyone in the face of difficulties, representing the spirit of encouraging good and punishing evil. Therefore, the number of visitors to the Lady's temple is increasing, from about 800,000 in 2012, reaching 2 million in 2024" - Mr. Huynh Van Thanh said.

The number of pilgrims is highest from January to the end of April of the lunar calendar, coinciding with the pilgrimage season in An Giang . Most visitors bring with them their faith in the sacredness of the Holy Mother Tien Nuong. As a "regular" visitor to the temple, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa (Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province) shared: "I have visited the temple for many years, it has become a "custom" of my family. Every year, I pray to the Holy Mother Tien Nuong to bless everything in the family to be smooth and peaceful. With her blessing, I feel that everything is as I wish. Therefore, no matter how busy we are, my family still comes here to "pay tribute" to her, continuing to pray for her blessing on the new journey."

Bau Muop Lady Temple

The first time he came to Ba Chua Xu Bau Muop temple, Pham Tu Binh (Co Do district, Can Tho city) could not hide his excitement: “I learned about Ba Chua Xu Bau Muop temple through social networks, and I found this place very beautiful. The temple has a charming yet solemn atmosphere. Burning incense and praying to the Holy Mother about work, life and love, I believe that my sincerity will be blessed by her, so that the future ahead will be brighter. Next year, my family and I will come back here to visit her, as well as visit other tourist attractions in An Giang!”

Special festival

Over hundreds of years, the worship rituals reflecting the unique spiritual life of the local people have been maintained. Among them, the most prominent are the Ba bathing ceremony and the Chanh Te ceremony. The ceremony still retains the folk music form of Bong Roi singing. In the harmony of gongs, drums, erhu, trumpets, etc., the movements of the Bong Roi dancers (with the purpose of inviting the Lady to take her place) take place very solemnly, expressing the respect of the people of the Bay Nui region for the Holy Mother Tien Nuong.

Along with the solemnity of the "ceremony", local people and tourists also witnessed the "festival" with folk games, volleyball competitions, cross-country running, amateur music, lion dance and opera. In this year's Ba festival, the Organizing Committee created many new and unique activities to serve tourists. These are the cultural nights sponsored by Tu Son Supermarket Company Limited, with the participation of singers from Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, there is also a provincial volleyball tournament, attracting many strong teams, such as: Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, tourists can come to take photos at the "check-in" area with the theme "My hometown Bau Muop", capturing memorable moments with this historical relic.

Vice Chairman of Tinh Bien Town People's Committee Lam Van Ba ​​(Head of the Festival Organizing Committee) informed: "We aim for the 174th Festival in 2025 to promote traditional cultural identity, connecting with a series of events taking place in Tinh Bien Town from now until the end of May. Therefore, the organization of the festival must ensure safety, security, order, and health, but also full of joy and excitement, in order to leave an impression on visitors. Thereby, actively building and promoting the image of this unique cultural and religious event, contributing to the development of spiritual tourism, celebrating major holidays of the year".

With a hundred-year tradition and increasingly thoughtful organization, the Via Ba Chua Xu Bau Muop Festival increasingly affirms its position in the religious culture of the people, deserving to be an ideal destination for tourists during the peak pilgrimage months in An Giang.

The 174th Ba Chua Xu Bau Muop Festival in 2025 will take place from May 16 to 18 (April 19, 20, 21 of the lunar calendar). The festival's Organizing Committee pays special attention to ensuring "3 an" (peace of mind, security, order, safety), helping visitors comfortably participate in this unique spiritual event.

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/le-hoi-tram-nam-a420369.html