Colorful performance of the Saint at the UNESCO heritage space of Kiep Bac

Meritorious Artisan Dang Ngoc Anh, head of Linh Quang Temple (Phu Dien ward, Hanoi ) performs the Saint service ritual.

The echoes of Chau Van in the sacred space

On the evening of October 8 (August 17 of the lunar calendar), crowds of people flocked to Kiep Bac Temple. In the solemn festival atmosphere, the sounds of drums, clappers, and moon lutes blended with the melodious folk songs to open the 2025 Festival of Performing Arts for the Saints.

Meritorious Artisan Dang Ngoc Anh, head of Linh Quang Temple (Phu Dien Ward, Hanoi) performs the ritual of serving the Holy Spirit in honor of the Six Tran Dynasty Monks, including the attendants: Tran Dynasty Monk (Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan), Tran Quoc Tang (Tran Quoc Tang), Pham Thanh (son-in-law Pham Ngu Lao), the Two Royal Ladies and the Boy of Cua Xuat. Each attendant is a vivid chapter of the nation's history, recreating the image of Hung Dao Dai Vuong and the Tran Dynasty generals in the incense smoke of the festival.

Despite the rainy weather, the festival still took place in a solemn and warm atmosphere. The bright lights combined with the incense smoke and the deep singing made visitors feel like they were being led into a magical world between the real and the spiritual.

“Serving the Saints in this sacred space is a great pride. Each act of service is not only an artistic performance but also a ritual expressing respect to the Saints, conveying the wish for national peace and prosperity, and bountiful harvests. Hopefully, from Kiep Bac, the Taoist priests and the mediums will join hands to preserve the sacred beauty of the heritage,” Meritorious Artisan Dang Ngoc Anh shared.

Ms. Ong Thi Nhung, a tourist from Yen Dung ward ( Bac Ninh ), shared that she had attended many festivals in the North, but nowhere else did she feel the harmonious combination between performing arts and spiritual space like here. Each performance was lively and full of energy, allowing viewers to enjoy the art and feel the depth of culture.

This year’s Festival of Performing Arts for the Saints gathers veteran artists who demonstrate the enduring vitality of this folk performing art form. At the Kiep Bac Temple, each dance, each costume, each song contributes to recreating the source of national culture, where religion and life blend together in the resounding rhythm of Chau Van.

The altar recreates the images of ancestors who contributed to the country in the heritage space.

The next two nights (18th and 19th of the 8th lunar month) will continue with performances by artists: Dao Dang Long, head of the incense of Bao Phuc Linh Dien, Tran Hung Dao ward, Hai Phong (August 18th) and Vu Thi Hue, head of the incense of Long Quang Dien, Le Chan ward, Hai Phong (August 19th) bringing typical offerings, like vivid paintings of Vietnamese folk culture. Not only recreating the traditional ritual of serving the Saint, the troupes also skillfully combine music, light and drama, creating a performance space that is both solemn and attractive. The singing blends with the fast rhythm, the red, blue and yellow dresses flutter in the incense smoke, evoking a magical scene like in a legend...

Spreading heritage values in sacred lands

The 2025 Saint Performance Festival is held in a space connecting 5 spiritual relic sites in the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac World Heritage Complex, including: Con Son Pagoda, Kiep Bac Temple, Thanh Mai Pagoda, Kinh Chu Cave and Nham Duong Pagoda. These are places associated with the Truc Lam Zen sect and the worship of Saint Tran - a symbol of patriotism and Vietnamese cultural strength.

According to Vu Dinh Tien, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year's Saint-worshiping festival has three groups of artists from Hanoi and Hai Phong, solemnly held at Kiep Bac Temple, where Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan "showed his sainthood". This is an occasion to honor his merits, and at the same time contribute to spreading the value of worshipping Saint Tran - one of the profound manifestations of the Vietnamese people's morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking water".

Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan (1228 - 1300) was of noble lineage, a man of both literature and martial arts, possessing the five virtues of humanity, justice, courtesy, wisdom, and trust. With his superior intelligence and devotion to the country, he led the army and people of Dai Viet three times to defeat the invading Yuan-Mongol army, firmly protecting the country's borders. With such illustrious achievements, the court conferred on him the title of Grand Master, Supreme Patriarch, Great Martial Artist Hung Dao Dai Vuong, and the people honored him as Duc Thanh Tran - Cuu Thien Vu De, the Saint who protects the country and brings peace to the people.

Many people and tourists feel the depth of national culture through the rituals of worshiping the Saints.

When he died on August 20, Canh Ty year (1300), at Van Kiep palace, the royal court built Kiep Bac temple right on the old palace grounds to commemorate his merits. Over the past seven centuries, the worship of Saint Tran has become an indispensable part of the spiritual life of Vietnamese people. Every festival season, tens of thousands of people turn their hearts to Kiep Bac, the place called "Father's death anniversary", to commemorate the Saint, pray for national peace and prosperity. From the billowing incense smoke, from the resounding folk songs, the image of Saint Tran appears both familiar and majestic - the immortal hero of the nation, symbolizing spirit and loyalty.

The 2025 Festival of Performing Arts for Saints is not only an artistic activity but also a gratitude ritual, a bridge between tangible and intangible heritage. This year's festival has a special meaning when taking place in the context of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac complex having just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

In the series of activities of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2025, the performance of the Saints contributes to enriching the religious life, spreading the values of folk culture in the era of integration. When the altars shimmering with lights blend with the echoes of Chau Van in the middle of Kiep Bac Temple, the audience not only admires a unique art form, but also lives in a space of faith, memory and gratitude.

The 2025 Festival of Performing Arts for Saints is therefore not only a cultural and artistic event, but also a journey back to the roots, where colors, sounds and spirituality blend into a symphony of Vietnamese heritage.

HAI HAU - DO HIEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/sac-mau-dien-xuong-hau-thanh-o-khong-gian-di-san-unesco-kiep-bac-523055.html