Hanoi celebrates 995th anniversary of Loyalty Oath Festival
A ceremony was held on May 21 evening at Dong Co temple in Hanoi's Tay Ho district to celebrate the 995th anniversary of the Loyalty Oath Festival and receive a decision recognising the festival as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023.
An incense offering ceremony - part of the Loyalty Oath Festival at Dong Co temple, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)🔯 – A ceremony was held on May 21 evening at Dong Co temple in Hanoi's Tay Ho district to celebrate the 995th anniversary of the Loyalty Oath Festival and receive a decision recognising the festival as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023.
The festival was first held in 1028 when King Ly Thai Tong ordered the establishment of the swearing altar, and initiated the swearing ceremony to teach courtiers, generals, soldiers and people in the country. The Loyalty Oath Festival at the Dong Co Temple and the Quang Chieu Lantern Festival used to be the two biggest and most important festivals of Thang Long capital city under the Ly Dynasty.
The Dong Co Temple Festival is the festival of the court, towards the origin. The national swearing festival has special significance, so the Emperor and the court pay much attention to it. Most of the dignitaries, mandarins in the court, and people in Thang Long citadel and other localities came to attend the festival with a spirit of loyalty, and filial piety, and pray for the nation's peace and prosperity. In the Tran Dynasty, the festival upheld the integrity of functionaries.
The special feature of the festival is the harmony between royal and folk rituals. This is a special festival because, according to scientists, there are only two swearing festivals in the North – one in Thuan Thien commune in Kien Thuy district of Hai Phong city, and the other at the Dong Co temple, Hanoi./.
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The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
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Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
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Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
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The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
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The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
An incense offering ceremony - part of the Loyalty Oath Festival at Dong Co temple, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)
