Solemn Xa Tac Worship Ceremony

The Xa Tac Worship Ceremony is a royal ritual of the Nguyen Dynasty, expressing the desire for harmony and coexistence with nature. The ceremony promotes humanistic values, in accordance with the ethics of the Vietnamese people.

After the end of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1945 until 2007, this ceremony had disappeared. However, with the cooperation of Hue Monuments Conservation Center and a number of cultural management agencies and the community, the Xa Tac Worship Ceremony was restored in 2008, and has been maintained annually. Since its restoration, the Xa Tac Worship Ceremony has always been given attention and special importance, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the ceremony's values.       

The Xa Tac Worship Ceremony is currently performed solemnly with full traditional rituals, including: the ablution ceremony, incense offering, welcoming deities, offering wine, reading prayers, sending off deities, and burning prayer paper.

After the rituals, people come to offer incense at the Xa Tac Esplanade to pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, as well as happy and prosperous lives, etc.

The Xa Tac Esplanade was built in 1806 during the reign of Emperor Gia Long, and is one of the particularly important royal relics of Hue Ancient Capital. During the Nguyen Dynasty, the Xa Tac Esplanade was ranked alongside the Nam Giao Altar and the Ngu Mieu in the Imperial City, one of the important “Esplanades” of the court and royal family.

The annual Xa Tac Worship Ceremony held in Hue is an opportunity to introduce and promote the rituals and court culture of the Nguyen Dynasty to a large number of people and visitors. More profoundly, this ceremony also expresses the tradition of “when drinking water, remember the source”, admiring the merits of predecessors and ancestors.

The following are some photos recorded at the Xa Tac Worship Ceremony, held on the early morning of March 10:

The annual Xa Tac Worship Ceremony is held to pray for national peace and prosperity, and favorable weather

Respectfully offering incense

Musical performance at the worship ceremony

The Xa Tac Worship Ceremony is performed solemnly with full traditional rituals

People offering incense at the Xa Tac Altar