Sacred Spring Festival of Con Son

At the Con Son Spring Festival ( Hai Duong ), visitors will be immersed in the sacred atmosphere of the rituals and feel the harmony between the beautiful nature of the Con Son historical site. The Con Son Spring Festival features many unique rituals and folk games, held from the 10th to the 23rd of the first lunar month.

*Con Son Pagoda is a sacred place that attracts many visitors who come to worship.*

Con Son Pagoda's official name is Con Son Thien Tu Phuc Tu, meaning a pagoda blessed by heaven.

In the late 13th century, the Truc Lam Zen sect, a Buddhist sect with a strong sense of national identity and independence, built the Ky Lan hermitage for its monks and nuns to practice. Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa, and Huyen Quang – the three founding patriarchs of this sect – often came here to practice and propagate Buddhism. In particular, the third patriarch, Huyen Quang, upon becoming the abbot of Con Son Pagoda, developed Con Son into one of the three famous centers of the Truc Lam Buddhist lineage. On January 23, 1334, the third patriarch of Truc Lam passed away at Con Son Pagoda. The anniversary of Huyen Quang's passing became the anniversary of the founding of Con Son Pagoda, and later became a festival. Thus, the spring festival at Con Son Pagoda originated from the anniversary of the third patriarch of Truc Lam, dating back to the early 14th century.

The spring festival at Con Son Pagoda features many unique rituals and folk games held from the 10th to the 23rd of the first lunar month. At the festival, visitors can immerse themselves in the sacred atmosphere of the rituals, feel the harmony between heaven and earth, and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of the Con Son historical site.

The water procession, held on the morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, is an important ritual in the Con Son Pagoda festival, expressing wishes for a bountiful harvest, abundant water, prosperity, and harmony. It also showcases the strength of the village community and fosters a sense of community solidarity. The ceremony attracts a large number of people and Buddhist followers. The procession travels from the pagoda to Con Son Lake to perform the water-seeking ceremony with full rituals such as: invoking the deities, chanting mantras, ascending the altar to pray for water, and placing the water vessel. After a year of successful work, the entire community performs the ceremony of carrying the three founding saints of the Truc Lam Zen sect to pray for abundant water for production and a harmonious life. In the new year, people and tourists respectfully carry the Buddha statues to admire the prosperity and peace of the country, the success and unity of the descendants. The sacred atmosphere of the water procession, filled with joy and happiness, spreads as people pray for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, prosperity for all, and all good things. Afterward, the procession carrying the water returned to the ancestral hall of Con Son Pagoda for the consecration ceremony according to traditional Buddhist rituals.

*This year's Con Son - Kiet Bac Spring Festival features many attractive activities.*

The opening ceremony is held on the morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, commemorating the passing of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam, Venerable Huyen Quang; announcing the Prime Minister's decision recognizing the Three Buddha statues of Con Son Pagoda as a national treasure; and promoting the outstanding global values of the historical site in the process of completing the dossier for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots to be submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a World Heritage site.

Following the spectacular artistic performance, provincial leaders delivered commemorative speeches and officially opened the festival. In the sacred atmosphere of the festival, the large incense burner of Con Son Pagoda emitted fragrant incense, adding to the solemnity of the occasion. The resounding drums and gongs of the opening ceremony echoed throughout the land. The sacred space combined with the festive atmosphere; amidst the drums, gongs, and flowing musical accompaniment, everyone respectfully offered incense before Heaven and Earth, Buddha and Saints, and their ancestors, with the hope that their wishes would be granted.

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on the Five Peaks Mountain takes place on the morning of the 17th day of the first lunar month at Trung Nhac Temple. This is a unique traditional ritual in the Con Son Festival. While on the 16th day of the first lunar month, the people carry the Ancestor's statue to pray for water, symbolizing going to the rivers and seas to ask the water deities for favorable weather, smooth agricultural production without floods or droughts, and a bountiful harvest, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on the Five Peaks Temple is a ritual of paying homage to Heaven and Earth on the most sacred day of the New Year festival, praying for national peace and prosperity, and abundant human and material well-being.

The Five Sacred Mountains are where heaven and earth meet. The five peaks of the Five Sacred Mountains are evenly distributed in five directions. Since ancient times, dynasties have built five temples to worship heaven, earth, and the immortal saints, known as the Five Sacred Mountains Shrines, which include:

Dong Yue - Mount Tai : Wood element, green color, worships the god Dong Yue Tian Qi Da Wang Ren Sheng Di Jun, who governs the good and bad fortune, blessings and misfortunes of mankind.

Nam Nhac - Hoanh Son : Fire element, red color, worships the god Ty Thien Chieu Thanh De Quan, governor of all aquatic creatures.

Tay Nhac - Hoa Son : Metal element, white color, worships the god Kim Thien Thuan Thanh De Quan, who governs the five metals and the bird family.

Northern Mountain - Hang Son : Water element, black color, worships the god An Thien Nguyen Thanh De Quan, who governs rivers, seas, lakes, ponds, and all kinds of animals, snakes, centipedes, and insects.

Trung Nhạc – Tung Sơn : Earth element, yellow color, worships the deity Trung Thiên Sùng Thánh Đế Quân, who governs land, trees, forests, mountains, and valleys.

According to ancient custom, whenever the country faced foreign invasion, bandits, epidemics, droughts, or crop failures, the imperial court would send officials to the Five Sacred Mountains to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, praying for national peace and prosperity. Each dynasty, upon the ascension of a king to the throne, would also visit the Five Sacred Mountains to offer prayers and make offerings to heaven and earth.

In the 14th century, Grand Minister Tran Nguyen Dan returned to Con Son, renovated the temple, and established the Star Altar on the Five Peaks to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, praying for the longevity of the dynasty and the prosperity of the nation. Therefore, the ancients praised him:

Chí Linh is a place truly imbued with the spiritual essence of Côn Sơn.

Côn Sơn is the most sacred place, truly relying on the magnificent beauty of the Five Sacred Mountains.

Mean:

The land of Chí Linh is sacred because it contains the sacred Côn Sơn mountain.

Con Son is sacred because it boasts the Five Sacred Mountains.

The Con Son Spring Festival, a ceremony of worshiping heaven and earth at Ngu Nhac, is an important national ritual. The chief officiant is a representative of the government, along with a large number of people and Buddhists from all over the country.

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth at the Five Sacred Mountains takes place after the opening ceremony (January 16th) and the water procession at Con Son Pagoda. The offerings include vegetarian offerings of five types of fruit symbolizing the five elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth) ; and meat offerings of three animals: pig, duck, and carp (symbolizing the three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Water) . The five types of grains offered correspond to the five elements: rice – Earth, corn – Metal, beans – Fire, peanuts – Wood, and sesame – Water. These grains are the five most essential elements created by Heaven and Earth to nourish humanity and all things; they are the substances that regenerate, reproduce, and sustain life in the world. Therefore, the grains offered are carefully selected. On the evening of January 14th, they are offered to the ancestral hall of Con Son Pagoda to pray for the Buddha's blessing to become the Five Grain Deity. On January 16th, the Five Grain Deity is presented to the Trung Nhac Temple.

*A large number of tourists visited the Con Son historical site.*

On the day of the Heaven and Earth worship ceremony, at the hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM), the procession proceeds from the Five Peaks Gate to the Central Peak Temple. Leading the procession is the chief priest, along with the people and Buddhists from all directions. At the Central Peak Temple, the group of monks performs the sacrificial rituals. The chief priest offers incense and prayers, asking Heaven and Earth to bless the nation with peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and bountiful harvests. The chief officiant distributes grains to the people to take home as seeds. The procession performs the rituals, offers incense at the temples, and then descends the mountain.

At the beginning of the new year, high in the majestic mountains, amidst the resounding sounds of traditional music, in a sacred setting, and with the warm spring air, people's hearts seem to be filled with excitement, overflowing with joy, and believing in a prosperous and peaceful new year.

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/linh-thieng-hoi-xuan-con-son-373542.html

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