Mau Thuong Ngan worshipping festival 2020 held in Yen Bai’s Dong Cuong temple

  •  Wednesday, October 28, 2020

YênBái - A festival featuring Mau Thuong Ngan (Mother Goddess of Forest) worshipping practices, which took place in Dong Cuong temple, Van Yen district of Yen Bai from October 19-28, attracted over 100 artists and practitioners nationwide.

Practitioner Dang Ngoc Anh, Vice President of the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam, plays the role of the Mau Thuong Ngan (Mother Goddess of Forest) during a performance.
Practitioner Dang Ngoc Anh, Vice President of the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam, plays the role of the Mau Thuong Ngan (Mother Goddess of Forest) during a performance.


The Mau Thuong Ngan worship at Dong Cuong temple is a spiritual practice, which is a combination of the Forest Goddess worshipping of people in an agriculture-based economy with the Mother Goddess symbol.

In Vietnam’s Mother Goddess worshipping practice, Mau Thuong Ngan rules Nhac Phu (Forest), one of the Four Palaces besides Thien Phu (Heaven), Thuy Phu (Water) and Dia Phu (Earth). 

Dong Cuong temple, believed to be the founding site of Mother Goddess worshipping practice, has regularly received worshippers from all localities nationwide.


"Ong Hoang Muoi” (Tenth Prince God) and Dong Cuong Goddess performances 

Vietnam’s tradition of worshipping Mother Goddesses was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UN cultural agency UNESCO in December 2016. 

The festival and the Com moi (New Rice) Festival in Dong Cuong temple in 2020 are activities to honour the UNESCO-recognised intangible heritage, which gives locals and visitors better understanding of Vietnamese people’s traditional practice of Mother Goddess worshipping.

This is the second time that the festival has been held, giving a chance for the practitioners to meet and exchange, honouring the cultural value of the heritage. 


The Mau Thuong Ngan procession is brilliant and unique.

Minh Huyen - Thu Trang