Practicing the Tam Phu Mother Goddess Worship in the Digital Age

In 2016, the Vietnamese practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms was recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Not only is it preserved within temple spaces, but in recent years, this type of heritage has also entered the digital environment to reach a wider audience.

Báo Nhân dân•06/10/2025

Artisans performing the ritual of paying homage to the Second Princess. (Photo: Southeast Asian Institute for Conservation and Development of Culture)

However, alongside the opportunities for development, there are also challenges in preserving the original form and sacredness of the heritage.

With just a few basic keywords related to the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship, one can easily find hundreds, even thousands, of videos about spirit medium rituals and folk singing posted on social media platforms. As a spirit medium, researcher, and lecturer at many universities, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hien is also one of the pioneers in using digital technology to promote this belief to young people and international friends.

On his personal YouTube and TikTok channels, he has posted many videos sharing knowledge about the Goddess Lieu Hanh, explaining each ritual, and introducing the props associated with the practice of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship. Each video receives thousands of views, shares, and positive comments from the public. Mr. Hien said: “Using digital technology to promote the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship of the Vietnamese people is wonderful. It's cheaper than posting on traditional media channels and newspapers; Vietnamese culture reaches the world faster and more widely; it's easier to interact with the public and connect people who share a passion for researching and practicing this heritage. This is also a way to preserve cultural beauty sustainably over time, passing it on intact from one generation to the next.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, former Chairman of the Association for the Protection and Promotion of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess Worship Heritage of the Vietnamese people in Nam Dinh province (formerly), said that almost every medium has a social media account to post their personal activities related to the Tam Phu Mother Goddess Worship. However, this also faces some drawbacks; most of them use social media platforms spontaneously, without a clear plan or goal for systematically spreading the heritage.

According to Master Hoang Kim Duc, Chief of the Office of the Institute for Research on Religious and Belief Issues, one of the biggest drawbacks in applying digital technology is the risk of commercialization and "virtualization" of heritage, leading to distortion or misrepresentation of original values; exploiting religious beliefs for personal gain, and even fraud. Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien noted that when videos are posted on social media, there are also many conflicting and inflammatory comments and opinions that cause misunderstandings about the nature of religious beliefs. To overcome these limitations, state management agencies and relevant units and organizations have actively engaged in the process of digitizing heritage in a standardized manner.

In the former Nam Dinh province, the birthplace of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship, in 2021, the Provincial People's Committee approved the project "Protecting and promoting the value of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship practices of the Vietnamese people in Nam Dinh province until 2030". The project's task is to comprehensively inventory relics, research, document, and digitize them to introduce the heritage value to the public. In recent years, the Institute for Research on Religious and Belief Issues has focused on proposing research topics at the grassroots level; organizing scientific seminars on the Mother Goddess worship in the Institute's special issue, and publishing articles and research papers by leading cultural experts.

In early September, the Institute successfully organized the first annual Forum on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship in 2025; and is continuing to develop plans for the second forum in 2026 with the participation of countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Ngoc Linh, Director of the Institute, stated: “The forum is a journey of accompanying the community in preserving Vietnamese cultural identity amidst the flow of integration, spreading the profound humanistic values of the Mother Goddess religion into contemporary life. Thanks to technology, the Institute's activities reach more people and connect those who love heritage and share the same passion.”

Established in 2021, during a period of rapid digital technology development, the Southeast Asian Institute for Conservation and Development of Culture quickly adapted, leveraging the strengths of digital technology to promote Vietnamese culture in general and the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship in particular. The Institute has collected and digitized materials on folk singing, spirit medium rituals, and historical and cultural relics; it has also recorded and filmed ritual practices for publication on the Institute's website and social media platforms.

The Institute is developing a project to establish a museum on Southeast Asian culture, combining physical and virtual exhibits to tell stories about the Mother Goddess religion and the practice of the Three Realms Mother Goddess worship using virtual reality technology. Director Pham Van Thang stated: Along with digitizing data, the Institute will organize workshops, exchanges, and seminars on digital platforms so that more people can easily access and learn about the Three Realms Mother Goddess worship; and will also organize exchange and presentation events in Southeast Asian countries by the end of 2025.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, digitization also has certain boundaries. Some things can be digitized immediately, but the rituals of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship require careful planning because they are closely linked to the sacred space where they are practiced. To establish standard rituals, experienced and reputable artisans who possess the secret traditions should be invited to record them as a model, thereby promoting them widely both domestically and internationally to help the public understand the true nature and rituals. As a very special type of heritage, even if the problem of using digital technology is solved thoroughly, it will only serve as a suggestion and introduction to attract the public to learn more. To fully appreciate the beauty and wonder of the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship, there is no better way than to directly participate and experience it.

THANH DUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thuc-hanh-tin-nguong-tho-mau-tam-phu-thoi-cong-nghe-so-post913170.html