Thanh Minh Festival in Binh Dinh: Humanistic beauty, connecting village and neighborhood love

Thanh Minh Festival in Binh Dinh: Humanistic beauty, connecting village and neighborhood love

Thanh minh festival is one of the beautiful cultural beliefs of Vietnamese people in general and Binh Dinh in particular. Thanh minh festival in Binh Dinh is an occasion for the community to hold a ceremony to worship the local tutelary god, the ancestors who opened the land, the descendants who opened the land, and to clean up the ownerless graves, showing deep humanity and connecting the village and neighborhood.

Gratitude to ancestors

Thanh minh - originally means clear sky, cool and clear air. In Eastern culture, when saying "Thanh minh" it mainly refers to Thanh minh festival - 1 of 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar, usually falls around the beginning of April and lasts about 15 - 16 days (Thanh minh festival this year starts from the 7th - 22nd of the 3rd lunar month, i.e. April 4 - April 19 of the solar calendar).

Thanh Minh Festival in Binh Dinh is a deeply humane beauty, connecting village and neighborhood love. Photo: THANH NHAN     

Since ancient times, Thanh minh has become a beautiful humane feature with many meanings in the cultural and religious life of Vietnamese people in general, and Binh Dinh in particular. In many places in the country, Thanh minh festival is associated with the custom of visiting ancestors' graves, but in Binh Dinh, on this occasion, the community in many places often organizes worship ceremonies at communal houses, temples/shrines or in each residential area.

The Qingming Festival in Binh Dinh is organized according to local customs. Some places set a day of the year, others organize it during the Qingming Festival. In general, it is a peaceful activity in the concept of spring and autumn ceremonies, worshiping the local tutelary gods, showing gratitude to ancestors who contributed to the land's opening and cultivation, expressing the morality of remembering the source of water, and unearthing ownerless graves, demonstrating a profound humanistic spirit.

In Nhon Hai commune (Quy Nhon city), the Thanh Minh ceremony takes place on a commune-wide scale and is scheduled to be held on the 11th day of the first lunar month every year. This ceremony takes place with traditional rituals, including: welcoming the gods, worshiping the founder of the mountain and province, worshiping the tutelary god of the locality, the ancestors and descendants at Phuong Mai communal house; cleaning graves and worshiping the souls of the deceased with unknown relatives at the Thanh Minh temple.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Head of the worship committee of Phuong Mai communal house and Thanh Minh temple in Nhon Hai commune, said: "In addition to the main ceremonies taking place on the 11th day of the first lunar month, on the morning of the 12th day of the first lunar month, there is also a ceremony to worship the gods. On this day, people in the commune go to the communal house and Thanh Minh temple to worship and pray for good things, and join in the fun and party, contributing to strengthening the relationship in the village. According to the custom, every three years, a traditional opera will be held on Thanh Minh festival."

People of Ly Hung and Ly Luong villages (Nhon Ly commune, Quy Nhon city) hold a Thanh Minh ceremony associated with the Hung King's death anniversary on the 10th day of the third lunar month every year. Photo: THANH NHAN

In Nhon Ly commune (Quy Nhon city), people in Hung Luong lagoon including two villages Ly Hung and Ly Luong set the Thanh Minh ceremony at Hung Luong communal house on the 10th day of the third lunar month every year - also the Hung King's death anniversary, not only to pay homage to the Hung Kings but also as a peaceful activity of the village.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Qua - in Ly Luong village, a member of the Hung Luong communal house's belief committee, said: "Every year, local people contribute money and labor to organize the Thanh Minh festival associated with the Hung King's death anniversary at the communal house, to educate the tradition of patriotism and unite the community together. The worshiping rituals include a funeral oration for the Hung King, worshiping the tutelary god, ancestors, and descendants who built the foundation. According to tradition, every 3 years, a traditional opera will be held at the communal house on this day."

Community Engagement

Although it has many meanings in terms of spiritual beliefs, it can be said that Thanh Minh festival in Binh Dinh is essentially a day of affection, a day for everyone in the village to gather, meet, contribute money and effort to organize, reminding descendants to preserve the traditional cultural beauty of the nation.

The Qingming Festival in An Cuu village, Phuoc Hung commune (Tuy Phuoc district) is held at An Cuu communal house every year, chosen according to the good day of the solar term. Photo: THANH NHAN

Mr. Nguy Hong Thanh (71 years old, in Huu Thanh village, Phuoc Hoa commune, Tuy Phuoc district), Deputy Manager of Huu Thanh village communal house, said: “Every year, the villagers organize a spring ceremony on the 16th day of the second lunar month, associated with the Thanh Minh festival, praying for national peace and prosperity, prosperity and happiness for the villagers, and a prosperous life. Everyone comes to the communal house to join hands in organizing the ceremony, the women cook and prepare the ceremony, the elders take care of the rituals, the young people arrange the tables and chairs, each person has a job, everyone is happy”.

In An Cuu village, Phuoc Hung commune (Tuy Phuoc district), the Thanh Minh festival is held annually by villagers at An Cuu communal house, choosing a good day in the solar term (this year it is held on the 2nd of the 3rd lunar month). Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc (77 years old), a member of the An Cuu communal house's festival committee, shared: "In addition to the rituals of worshiping and clearing the graves of unclaimed graves, the Thanh Minh festival in An Cuu village also includes the ritual of receiving royal decrees and conferring royal decrees of the Nguyen Dynasty kings. Before the ceremony, there will be a chanting session to convey the people's wishes to Buddha and gods for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, fertile fields, peaceful villages, happy families, and successful children's studies and examinations."

Sharing more about the cultural value of An Cuu communal house in its role of connecting the community, Mr. Dang Van Minh, Head of An Cuu village, said: “Thanh Minh is the biggest festival organized by the village community every year. In addition to Thanh Minh, people also organize the rituals of worshiping Shang Yuan, Zhong Yuan, Xia Yuan, Tat Nien, and Tet Nguyen Dan during the year. An Cuu communal house is a spiritual cultural symbol that villagers join hands to preserve the beauty of cultural beliefs as well as the “treasures” of the village, which are the four royal decrees granted to An Cuu communal house by the Nguyen Dynasty kings.”

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The Qingming Festival in Binh Dinh today has more or less changed its form of organization. However, the ritual still retains the core spirit that our ancestors built, refined, and preserved, along with developing some new content that is suitable and harmonious with modern life. Both tradition and modernity aim to express the humanistic meaning, show gratitude to ancestors, and preserve the beauty of local culture. Thereby educating the younger generation to engrave in their hearts the tradition of drinking water and remembering its source, while strengthening the spirit of community solidarity.

THANH NHAN

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