The Tien pagoda festival in Phu Nghia commune, Lac Thuy district will be held as a provincial-level event from February 12-14, said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Toan.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Toan and local officials direct preparations for the Tien pagoda festival.
Toan, who is also head of the festival organising committee, said that the Tien (Fairy) pagoda festival is a cultural and folk belief activity that is restored and held annually to preserve, promote the traditional cultural values, and meet the spiritual needs of people. It also contributes to promoting the great solidarity among ethnic groups and boosting tourism of the district and Hoa Binh province.
Regarding the festival organisation this year, the provincial official said that an incense offering ceremony will take place on February 12 morning (the third day of the lunar year) and a ceremony on the afternoon of the same day with rituals asking local gods for permission to open the festival.
On February 13, the festival will officially start with palanquin processions: the procession of the Three Monsignors from Trinh Temple; the Procession of the Holy Mother's palanquin from the Thanh Mau Temple; the Procession of the palanquin of the god worshipped in the communal house from the Trung communal house. They are followed by the official festival opening ceremony with numerous activities such as musical performances, lion/ dragon dancing, stilt walking, bamboo dancing, and the Muong Gong ensemble.
Festive activities include folk games, and volleyball friendly matches among teams from districts of Yen Thuy, Kim Boi, Lac Son, Tan Lac and Lac Thuy.
Visitors can also enjoy a folk art exchange programme featuring ethnic musical instruments, Muong gong art performances, folk singing and demonstrations of the belief of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Palaces by artisans from Trinh temple, Mau temple, and Tien pagoda.
Within the framework of the festival, a spring fair also takes place with over 40 booths that offer agricultural products, handicrafts, One Commune-One Product (OCOP) products, and local food.
Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, is widely regarded as the cultural heartland of the Muong ethnic group. Among its many traditional communities, Luy Ai hamlet (formerly Ai hamlet) stands out as a rare location where the customs and way of life of the Muong Bi people remain largely intact.
The Truong Kha temple festival, a distinctive cultural event held every three years in Vu Ban township, Lac Son district, returned recently with vibrant rituals and folk traditions of the Muong people. Located next to the Buoi River in the Muong Trao fields, the Truong Kha Temple is dedicated to the three Kun Dol deities, revered for teaching farming techniques, irrigation, weaving, and protecting the harvest.
The demand for spaces serving community activities of residents in various areas across Hoa Binh city has been satisfied as local cultural houses now feature modern, spacious facilities thanks to the effective implementation of Resolution No. 49/NQ-HDND issued on December 28, 2021 by the city People's Council, which approved the plan for reorganising, converting, and allocating land for the construction, repair, and expansion of cultural houses in Hoa Binh’s villages and residential areas until 2025.
At the end of May, the Hoa Binh Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe organized a series of performances for residents in Region 2 and Region 3 communes across the province. Bringing art to ethnic communities in remote, isolated, and especially disadvantaged areas has become a meaningful activity. These are not merely artistic performances but also journeys to disseminate cultural values, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minorities.
.jpg)
.jpg)
