The nearly 300-year-old ancient temple is bustling with visitors in early spring.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Visiting temples during Tet (Lunar New Year) has become a long-standing tradition for people in Ho Chi Minh City. During these days, many people from all over flock to temples to pray for peace and hope to receive good fortune in the new year.

These days, several temples in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Ngoc Hoang Temple (District 1), Ba Thien Hau Temple (District 5), Giac Lam Temple (Tan Binh District), etc., attract many people who come to visit and pray for peace and good fortune at the beginning of the new year.

According to observations by a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper, at Thien Hau Pagoda (District 5), many people prepared incense, fruit, and gold paper money early in the morning to offer prayers and seek good fortune.

With a history spanning nearly 300 years, this temple has become a spiritual destination attracting many pilgrims and worshippers during the Lunar New Year. Ba Thien Hau Temple (District 5) is also known as one of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City.

In a peaceful and solemn atmosphere, people are always careful in activities such as rituals and incense burning.

In the early days of the new year, many temples in Ho Chi Minh City open their doors to welcome people to visit, perform rituals, and pray for a new year filled with wealth, health, and happiness. "Every year I go to Thien Hau Temple, because it's one of the places where we remember our homeland and pray for good fortune for our family," shared Ms. Huynh Quang Thuy (63 years old, a Vietnamese woman of Chinese descent).

The offering set, including incense, candles, and prayer paper, is sold for between 40,000 and 80,000 VND per set. The management will provide instructions on how to pray before the statue of Thien Hau and how to use the prayer paper to send their wishes.

During the ceremony, the ritual of pouring oil is performed to show respect and gratitude to the gods, ancestors, or deities. Pouring oil is a ritual to pray for peace and good fortune.

Additionally, visitors also seek fortune telling at the beginning of the new year to bring good luck. Fortune telling at the start of the year is seen as a way to ward off bad luck and bring success in the new year.

After visiting the temple, many people took souvenir photos, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere. This was also an opportunity for everyone to gather together after the busy days of the Lunar New Year. "Every year our family goes on vacation, but this year, due to financial difficulties, we visited temples around Ho Chi Minh City. I was surprised to see so much of the Tet atmosphere here; everyone was excited," shared Ms. Pham Thu Huong (38 years old, District 8).

Within the grounds of the Thien Hau Temple, there is a pond where turtles are kept for visitors to see. In Buddhism, turtles are considered symbols of wealth, longevity, and good fortune.

Similarly, the Quan Am Pagoda area (District 5) was also crowded with people offering prayers and seeking good fortune and peace during the first days of the new year.

Visiting temples at the beginning of the spring season not only has spiritual significance but also provides an opportunity for people in Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy the atmosphere of a new year full of hope and joy.

Trinh Nguyen - Dantri.com.vn

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