According to historical records, the first Tich Dien ceremony in our country dates back to the reign of King Le Dai Hanh. The King performed the Tich Dien ceremony, plowing the fields to encourage the people to participate in production. Experiencing many historical upheavals, following many years of loss, in 2009 the Tich Dien ceremony was restored in Doi Son (Ha Nam).
At the beginning of the new year, the Tich Dien festival is held not only to remind the next generation of its roots, but also to bring the wishes of all peoples, wishing for a year of favorable rain and wind, and a bountiful harvest. To recreate the old Tich Dien ceremony, people will choose an old farmer with experience in plowing the field, good health in the village wearing a long robe, wearing a mask pretending to be a plowing king.
In addition to the traditional ceremonies, a special activity mentioned many times in the Tich Dien ceremony is the buffalo painting contest. People will paint on themselves gentle, healthy, beautiful “buffaloes” with unique colors and impressive images. The “buffalo” who wins the drawing contest will be plowed into the field on the 7th day of the Tich Dien festival.
Perfume Pagoda Festival – 6th of Tet to the end of the 3rd lunar month
Every Spring, on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, tourists from all over the world are eager to help the Huong pagoda festival. In the joyful atmosphere of nature, thousands of boats carrying tourists sightseeing on Yen stream create a charming scene.
The special and spiritual mascot dances on the opening day of the Huong Pagoda festival bring to the space, unique religious beauty, imbued with identity. Journeying to a Buddhist land, visitors have the opportunity to visit and admire many caves, mountains and rivers, and pray for a peaceful and lucky new year.
Yen Tu Festival – 10th to the end of the 3rd lunar month
Yen Tu mountain (Quang Ninh) is not only famous for its magnificent landscapes, but also the place where the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect was formed, the center of Vietnamese Buddhism. History books record that, nearly 1,000 years ago, Yen Tu was considered the 4th Phuc land of Giao Chau, listed in the “named mountain”.
Yen Tu Spring Festival takes place from January 10 to the end of March of the lunar calendar attracting thousands and tens of thousands of visitors. The journey to the Dong pagoda on Yen Tu peak is like a test of faith and patience, proving the devotion to the Buddha realm: “One hundred years of cultivating virtue / I have not gone to Yen Tu, not yet achieved results. tu” (Ca dao).
Opening Ceremony of Tran Temple – Night of the 14th, the morning of January 15th
Tran Temple is located at Tran Thua Street, Loc Vuong Ward (Nam Dinh City), where the kings of the Tran Dynasty were worshiped. Every year, at the time of the Rat on the full moon day of January, the Opening Ceremony will take place.
Legend has it that the Tran kings, who were on Lunar New Year holiday until the full moon of January, would re-open the seal to return to national affairs, and at the same time, through sacrifices to show their respect and gratitude to the ancestors, and pray for peace and prosperity in the country. . In folklore, it is also implied that the “playful” Tet days have ended and officially started working in the new year.
Experiencing many broken strawberries, the old seal is no longer available. However, in 1822, King Minh Mang re-engraved the new seal “Tran dynasty dictionary” and added the sentence “Tic Phuc is incomparable”, recalling the good cultural beliefs that need to be handed down. Today, on every occasion of the opening of Tran Temple in Nam Dinh, it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world to attend the ceremony with the hope of a new year to pray for themselves and their families for peace and good luck.
