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| Visitors and locals attending the ceremony of incense offering to Princess Huyen Tran |
The event was hosted by the Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, within the framework of the Spring festival program of Hue Festival 2024.
After the ritual and drumming ceremony to kick off the festival, delegates offered incenses and flowers to commemorate Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong and Princess Huyen Tran for their great merits in the work of expanding the country.
Princess Huyen Tran is a famous historical personage, along with her father, King Tran Nhan Tong, are the celebrities associated with the formation of Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Thua Thien Hue land. She was a filial and dutiful woman, living with patriotism and love for fellow countryman. Obeying her father’s order, and then her brother, King Tran Anh Tong, Princess Huyen Tran left her love to marry her husband, the King of Champa to establish peace with the neighboring state and expand the country’s borders to the South at the beginning of the XIV century. From her wedding gifts, Dai Viet had “two more thousands of square miles of areas which are Chau O and Chau Ly”, including the Hue land (Thuan Hoa). Therefore, Princess Huyen Tran was honored by the people and they built a temple to worship her, at the same time handing down various anecdotes to commemorate and keep in mind her merits.
On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Thua Thien Hue, Thua Thien Hue Province organized the groundbreaking of Huyen Tran Cultural Center. This project was inaugurated in March 2007, with a total area of 28.5 hectares and many important categories.
The Huyen Tran Temple Festival has been held since 2008 on the 8th and 9th days of the first month in the Lunar Calendar, on the death anniversary of Princess Huyen Tran. From 2022, the Huyen Tran Temple Festival has been considered the opening festival for a series of activities and events of the Four Seasons Festival in Hue.
Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, said that the festival was an activity reflecting the nation’s principle “When drinking water, think of its source” to pay tribute to Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong and Princess Huyen Tran, our ancestors for their contributions to the country and people in expanding the country’s borders.
After traditional rituals held on the 8th day of Tet, including the Hung Trac ceremony, the Cung Thi ceremony, and the Tien Thuong ceremony; the main death anniversary ceremony of Princess Huyen Tran was held on the 9th day of Tet. Within the framework of the festival, there are many spiritual activities such as praying for "peaceful country and people", offering incenses at Princess Huyen Tran Temple, and King Tran Nhan Tong Temple. In addition, there were also art performance of Hue Singing, Bai Choi (cards are played along with traditional songs in the huts), folk games, photo and calligraphy exhibitions, as well as fashion shows of the ao dai and Hue traditional costumes, etc.
Through the activities, the festival contributes to promoting to visitors from all over the world and the masses cultural images, and values of cultural heritages, a land imbued with the cultural identity of the whole country, an ASEAN City of Culture, and a Festival city of Vietnam.
Following are the photos at the festival, taken by Thua Thien Hue Online:
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| Reenacting the scene of Princess Huyen Tran on the journey of expanding the country’s borders to the South |
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| Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh performed the drum-beating ceremony to open the festival |
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| Many people and visitors offered incense to Princess Huyen Tran on the morning of the 9th day of Tet |
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| Many cultural and artistic programs took place at the precinct of Huyen Tran Cultural Center |
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| A stream of people going to the Huyen Tran Temple Festival |
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| The Bai Choi space within of the festival program attracted many people |
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| On this occasion, Hue Museum of Fine Arts also opened a space to print traditional paintings, which were to present to everyone |
By N. MINH