Ready for the opening day of Huong Tich Pagoda festival

Thanks to the active involvement of all levels, sectors, and units, preparations for the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival, coinciding with the start of the 2024 Ha Tinh tourism year, have been largely completed, ready for the opening ceremony.

Held annually at the beginning of the new spring with many vibrant cultural, sporting , and folk game activities, the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival is a cultural event eagerly awaited by many people in the province and visitors from all over. While in previous years the festival was organized by the province, in 2024 this will be handled by Can Loc district, with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism providing guidance and coordinating some of the implementation.

The entrance area to the Huong Tich Pagoda tourist site has been brightly decorated to welcome visitors participating in the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival in 2024.

According to the plan, the festival will consist of two main events: the opening ceremony of Huong Tich Pagoda, marking the beginning of the 2024 Ha Tinh tourism year, taking place on the 6th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Dragon (February 15, 2024), and the birthday celebration of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva on the 18th day of the second lunar month (March 27, 2024). The opening ceremony will include many activities such as: a spectacular art program; cultural and sports activities (open men's youth volleyball tournament, traditional wrestling, stick pushing, tug-of-war, etc.); and folk games: cockfighting, blindfolded duck catching, etc.

Wrestling, one of the traditional sports favored by many tourists, was featured in this year's Huong Tich Pagoda opening ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Ngoc Thang.)

To welcome and serve visitors during the opening ceremony and throughout the 2024 Huong Tich Pagoda Festival, Can Loc district has coordinated with the Ha Tinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to actively direct and implement preparatory work.

Meritorious Artist Nguyen Thi Cam - Director of the Traditional Arts Theatre of Ha Tinh, said: "Following the directives of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the request of Can Loc district, the Provincial Traditional Arts Theatre is undertaking the artistic program for the opening ceremony of Huong Tich Pagoda. After developing the script, we have organized rehearsals, and now, the basic performances have been staged and are ready for the preliminary rehearsal before the Lunar New Year and the final rehearsal before the official performance on the opening day of the festival."

Artists and actors from the Ha Tinh Traditional Arts Theatre are rehearsing a performance for the opening art program of the Huong Tich Pagoda festival in 2024.

The artistic program at the opening ceremony of Huong Tich Pagoda, marking the beginning of the 2024 Ha Tinh tourism year, has a duration of 30 minutes and features 6 performances praising the homeland, celebrating the Party, celebrating the Spring, and celebrating Huong Tich Pagoda, such as: "Spring Festival - The Sunshine of Huong Tich Pagoda", "Spring Passes Through the Land of Folk Songs", "Ha Tinh, Land of the Phoenix"...

As assigned by the People's Committee of Can Loc District, the District's Culture and Communication Center is responsible for and coordinates the implementation of tasks such as: strengthening propaganda with banners and slogans along the roads; organizing an expanded men's youth volleyball tournament; arranging promotional points for OCOOP products, agricultural products, and commercial booths of local businesses and enterprises in need... Currently, the unit has also deployed and is completing preparatory work such as: volleyball courts, decorating product promotion booths...

Staff from the Can Loc District Cultural and Communication Center installed volleyball court posts at the square of the Huong Tich Pagoda tourist area, in preparation for the men's open volleyball tournament during the opening ceremony of the festival.

As the locality where the festival takes place, Thien Loc commune is responsible for preparatory tasks such as organizing folk games including traditional wrestling, blindfolded pig catching, duck catching, tug-of-war, etc. At the same time, it coordinates with the Management Board of Huong Tich Pagoda Tourist Area and the abbot of the pagoda to organize a competition for offering five kinds of fruit to Buddha during the celebration of the birth of Quan The Am Bodhisattva on the 18th day of the 2nd lunar month.

Mr. Dang Anh Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thien Loc commune, said: "To organize folk games at the opening ceremony of Huong Tich Pagoda, we have directed and assigned organizations and associations to purchase healthy and agile livestock such as ducks and pigs for care; and instructed villages to assign people to participate in tug-of-war and wrestling teams and actively practice. Regarding the five-fruit tray competition, we assigned the Women's Union of the commune to preside over it, assigning women to prepare by practicing before the competition takes place. In addition, as the locality where the festival takes place, we also strengthen propaganda to the people about the spirit of welcoming visitors from all over, cultural and civilized behavior, and improving environmental hygiene in residential areas and roads before and throughout the festival season..."

Workers are completing the final steps to set up a display area for OCOP products and local agricultural produce at the entrance to the Huong Tich Pagoda tourist area square on the morning of February 2, 2024.

On the part of the Management Board of Huong Tich Pagoda Tourist Area, preparations for the festival have been underway since the end of December 2023.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Ha, Head of the Huong Tich Pagoda Tourist Area Management Board, said: "Along with other units carrying out renovations, environmental sanitation, and preparing infrastructure such as grounds, we have also invested in improving the landscape and creating many attractive highlights to serve tourists. Currently, all tasks have been completed."

Young people enjoying the spring festivities early check in at the flower garden in the square of Huong Tich Pagoda.

Along with various levels of government, departments, organizations, and the management board of the tourist area, businesses such as electric vehicle services, cable cars, and boat docks have also reorganized their facilities and personnel to serve tourists during the festival season. Specifically, Hong Linh Investment and Development Tourism Joint Stock Company has recently carried out maintenance on the cable car station system, and the electric vehicle service unit has added new vehicles to meet the needs of tourists.

Tourist groups from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City used electric vehicle services to visit Huong Tich Pagoda in mid-January 2024.

Mr. Le Cong Hong, owner of the boat dock at Huong Tich Pagoda, said: "To serve tourists, we have maintained the boats and equipped them with safety equipment such as life jackets and lifebuoys... At the same time, we have placed markers and marked lanes on the lake to ensure safety during travel."

Besides preparing the necessary facilities, to ensure security, traffic safety, and food safety during the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival, Can Loc district has directed relevant units to regularly inspect and supervise the implementation of regulations.

The boats have been serviced and refurbished, ready to serve tourists at the Huong Tich Pagoda boat dock.

With the guidance and coordination of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the direction of the district, preparations for the opening ceremony of Huong Tich Pagoda, coinciding with the start of the 2024 Ha Tinh tourism year, have been implemented synchronously and are basically complete. We believe that this year's Huong Tich Pagoda opening ceremony will continue to contribute to spreading the beauty of the scenic spot and the cultural values ​​of the temple known as "Hoan Chau's most famous landmark" more widely.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Loc District

Thien Vy

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nui-hong-song-la/san-sang-cho-ngay-khai-hoi-chua-huong-tich/261237.htm