New Rice Festival at Dong Cuong Temple, 2024

Culture

New Rice Festival at Dong Cuong Temple, 2024

Monday, October 7, 2024

Recently, the New Rice Festival of Dong Cuong Temple took place at the National Historical and Cultural Site of Dong Cuong Temple, located in Dong Cuong Commune, Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province. Due to the ongoing priority of recovering from the aftermath of Tropical Storm No. 3, only the ceremonial part of the event was held, with no accompanying festivities.

Hầu đồng serves as a medium for communication with deities through male and female spirit mediums (thanh đồng).

Traditionally, the rice offering ritual, conducted on the day of the Mao (Cat) in the ninth lunar month each year, is a significant agricultural ceremony deeply embedded in the cultural identity of the Tay Khao people of Van Yen. This ceremony marks the conclusion of a year's labor and production, serving as an expression of gratitude to the heavens, deities, the Mountain Goddess, and ancestors for their blessings of favorable weather and good harvests. It also offers a chance for the local community to gather, exchange agricultural knowledge, and teach younger generations to preserve and promote the rich cultural traditions of the Tay Khao people.

A particularly sacred part of the New Rice Festival is the black buffalo sacrifice to the Mother Goddess and the heavens, performed at midnight on the day of Mao (Cat) in the ninth lunar month, under the ancient jackfruit tree in front of the temple. This ritual holds deep spiritual significance and is uniquely profound. After the buffalo is sacrificed, its meat is used to prepare 36 ceremonial trays, which are then brought into the temple to honor and remember the national heroes and soldiers of various dynasties who sacrificed their lives during the naval battles against the Mongol invaders to protect the homeland.

In addition to the produce and livestock harvested over the year, cốm nếp (young sticky rice) is regarded as the most refined product, embodying the essence of the land and the best of the harvest season. It is offered in gratitude to the Mountain Goddess, the Jade Emperor, and other deities, symbolizing the people's appreciation for the bountiful harvests and their prayers for continued favorable weather, national peace, and prosperity.

Before the New Rice Festival of Dong Cuong Temple in 2024, the National Historical and Cultural Site also hosted a traditional hầu đồng (mediumship ceremony) performance, a spiritual practice deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture.

At the event, within the solemn and serene atmosphere, the thanh đồng (spirit mediums) skillfully embodied various characters in the spirit possession rituals, including revered figures such as the Mother Goddess, Chua Ba, Quan Lon, Chau Ba, Lord Quan Hoang, Tien Co, and Thanh Cau. Their performances, filled with gestures and expressions characteristic of spiritual possession, were complemented by the lively and sacred melodies of chầu văn (Vietnamese ritual singing) music. The lyrics praised the noble virtues, the majestic presence, and the divine merits of the Mother Goddess, while imparting moral lessons about kindness and righteousness. The songs also celebrated the beauty of the mountains, forests, and homeland.

The ritual became even more captivating as the music harmonized with the graceful, dynamic movements of the thanh đồng, dressed in the symbolic green garments of the Mother of the Mountains and Forests. This vibrant display added to the unique and sacred nature of the hầu đồng ceremony at Dong Cuong Temple, making it both deeply spiritual and distinctly enchanting.

The hầu đồng ritual is part of the broader Tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu Tam phủ (Mother Goddess Worship) tradition of the Vietnamese people in general, and the veneration of the Mother Goddess of the Forests (Mẫu Thượng Ngàn) at Dong Cuong Temple in particular. This sacred practice has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, signifying its importance and global recognition.

Although the 2024 New Rice Festival at Dong Cuong Temple did not include the festival activities, the event remained distinctive with its series of traditional rituals. These ceremonies play a crucial role in preserving and promoting the unique cultural values associated with the festival, the historical site, and the venerated figures. The customs, strictly observed by the Tay Khao people, included rituals such as welcoming ong Mo (Grand Mo) back to the temple, incense offerings, weekly ceremonies, the black buffalo sacrifice, and the main ritual feast.

Thu Trang

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