The tradition of carrying water from Tam Giang Temple.

Every year, on the 25th day of the 9th lunar month, one of the three important festivals of the year, is the traditional Quan Thanh Festival at Tam Giang Temple (Thanh Mieu Ward). During the Tam Giang Temple festival, the water procession is an ancient custom, a sacred ritual that embodies the soul and unique cultural characteristics of the ancestral land. Besides the purpose of bringing water back to offer incense and worship the deities, the water procession also expresses people's aspirations for the flourishing and abundance of all things.

The water procession begins to set off towards the boats.

Tam Giang Temple is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Thao, Da, and Lo rivers, in Bach Hac ward, formerly Viet Tri city, now Thanh Mieu ward. The temple is part of the Tam Giang Temple and Dai Bi Pagoda national historical and cultural relic complex. The Tam Giang Temple festival originates from a village festival, associated with the worship of the village's guardian deity, the hero Chieu Van Vuong Tran Nhat Duat, and the Holy Mother Quach A Nuong, all of whom made significant contributions to the nation and the people of Bach Hac in the past.

To commemorate the contributions of their ancestors, the people of the region hold annual ceremonies. The first ceremony is held in early spring, from the 3rd to the 5th day of the first lunar month; the second is held on the 10th day of the third lunar month (the saint's birthday); and the third is held on the 25th day of the ninth lunar month (the saint's ascension day).

The boat set off to the water intake location.

During the Tam Giang Temple Festival, the water procession is one of the most unique and important rituals. Besides the purpose of bringing water back for worshipping the deities, the water procession also expresses people's aspirations for the flourishing of all things in nature and for humanity.

The procession performs a ritual to ask permission from the deities to take water to offer to the saints.

The procession is conducted in formal attire according to traditional rituals. The chief officiant is chosen by the elders, must have a complete and happy family with both sons and daughters, and well-behaved and respectful children and grandchildren; they must not be in mourning; they wear a red long robe, a red hat, and red shoes. The male officiants wear blue long robes, shoes, and blue hats, demonstrating solemnity and respect for the deities and representing a beautiful aspect of the traditional festival of the local people.

Mr. Tran Quoc Chinh – the chief officiant – shared: "I am very honored to be chosen as the chief officiant representing all the people in the region to perform the rituals during the Tam Giang Temple festival. This is not only a source of pride for myself and my family, but also a fulfillment of our wishes to offer prayers for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and prosperity and happiness for the people and the country..."

The chief priest is the one who takes the first water.

Following them is the drum and music ensemble, responsible for playing music and drumming according to the chief priest's commands during the ceremony; the palanquin procession, carrying an incense burner, a porcelain water jar tied with a red ribbon, a bronze water ladle, a vase of flowers, and a beautifully decorated tray of five kinds of fruit. Behind them are the spear-carrying team and the eight precious objects, with male and female ritual participants dressed in traditional costumes joining the procession.

The members of the ritual team took turns scooping water and pouring it into the jar.

At the auspicious hour, the master of ceremonies gives the signal to start, the gongs and drums begin to sound, and the procession carrying the sacred water descends from the temple to the boat landing and proceeds to the water collection point. On the boat, the organizers have prepared an offering tray for the chief priest to perform the ritual to the deities. To obtain the sacred water, the procession must go to the confluence of three rivers, usually creating one side with clear water and the other with murky water. According to folklore researchers, the Hạc confluence is where the rivers from upstream meet, creating a river full of vitality. Taking water from there for the ritual bathing and worshiping the deities expresses the wish for fertility and abundance.

The procession carrying sacred water returns.

According to the village elders, to obtain sacred water, besides choosing the right location, the person fetching it must have experience and good fortune to select the best water source with a balance of yin and yang. Mr. Nguyen Van Cong - Deputy Head of the Tam Giang Temple Management Board shared: The custom of fetching water at the river confluence is associated with the Tam Giang Temple festival on the 25th of September and the 10th of March of the lunar calendar every year. The ritual of fetching water is very elaborate, requiring a full team of male and female ceremonialists; performing rituals to worship the Earth God and the River God, asking permission to take the water home for good luck, for use in important village matters, for worship at the temple, for the people in the area to take home for ancestral worship, and to serve the spiritual needs of visitors from all over...

The ceremonial team stood on either side to welcome the procession carrying the water back.

After the procession reached the Hac junction, the boats stopped and anchored so the group could perform a ritual to ask permission from the deities to take water for offerings. Everyone stood solemnly, with the chief priest, the temple caretaker, and the village elders standing before the offering tray. The chief priest lit incense and recited a prayer asking permission from the deities. After the prayer, the chief priest burned the prayer paper and paper money, and everyone in the procession released them into the river.

After the water procession ceremony is over, the water collected in the jar is brought back to the temple for the sacrificial ceremony.

Before drawing water, a circle wrapped in red or multicolored cloth is lowered into the water to mark the water source and prevent anything unclean from flowing in. According to local belief, only water drawn within this circle is sacred, and then the water is poured into a jar. The chief priest performs the ritual of drawing the first water, followed by other members of the ritual team who take turns drawing water and pouring it into the jar until it is full, at which point the lid is closed. After the ceremony concludes, the procession carries the sacred water jar back to the temple for further offerings.

Rituals at Tam Giang Temple

Despite numerous changes, the tradition of carrying water from Tam Giang Temple has been preserved intact by the local people. This ritual not only holds spiritual value but also serves as proof of the enduring vitality of the riverine culture, the birthplace of the nation. Amidst the whirlwind of development, the sacred water continues to flow, just as the people here preserve their traditions and maintain the cultural heritage of their ancestral land.

Linh Nguyen

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tuc-ruoc-nuoc-den-tam-giang-242753.htm