Tuyen Quang to open festival honouring Mother Goddesses
A festival honouring Mother Goddesses, which has been recognised as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will take place at three temples in the northern city of Tuyen Quang on March 8-13.
Hanoi (VNA) – A festival honouring Mother Goddesses, which has beenrecognised as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will take place at threetemples in the northern city of Tuyen Quang on March 8-13, municipalauthorities told a press conference in Hanoi on March 1.
The ritualof worshipping Mother Goddesses of Three Realms in Vietnam has been recognised bythe UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The annualfestival at the Thuong, Ha and Y La Temples is dedicated to the worship of theThoai Mother Goddess, or Water Mother Goddess– one of the three MotherGoddesses. Held from the 11th to 16th day of the secondlunar month, it is one of the largest festivals in the region, during which,local residents pray for good health and a bumper harvest.
This year,the event will feature a ceremony on Lo river to bring water from Thuong Templeto Ha Temple and release coloured lanterns on the river. The festival will endon the 16th day.
Along withthe rituals, various activities will be held including cooking and sportcompetitions, a photo exhibition on Tuyen Quang, music performances and folkgames.
Thousandsof hotel rooms and more than 30 homestays have been made available fortourists.
Mother Goddess worship is a traditional practice inVietnam with a long history, having stood the test of social changes. Thebelief in Mother Goddess worship reflects people’s desire for health, wealthand fortune.
The Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realmshas been practiced in numerous northern mountainous provinces across the nationsince the 16th century.
The MotherGoddesses represent the three realms of the universe, namely Thoai who is incharge of Water, Thuong Thien (Lieu Hanh) who is in charge of the Heaven andThuong Ngan in charge of Mountains and Forests. -VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has allowed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to sign a dossier seeking UNESCO recognition for the Mother Goddess worship as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Outstanding mediums in the Mother Goddess worship have been awarded the “folk artisan” title in recognition of their contributions to preserving the age-old belief.
The practice of Mother Goddess worship in the modern society was the topic of an international symposium held in the northern province of Nam Dinh on January 6.
The practice related to the Vietnamese belief in Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms has been officially recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
A festival highlighting the worship of Mother Goddess in Vietnam was held on February 22 at India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi, India.
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Illustrative image (Source: VNA) 
