Preserving the cultural beauty of the Mother Goddess Temple festival.

Việt Nam•10/05/2024

The Mother Goddess Temple, located on De Nhi Street (now Tran Hung Dao Street), Le Hong Phong Ward ( Thai Binh City), is one of the temples within the system of relics dedicated to the Holy Mother Lieu Hanh. The temple is one of the sacred places of worship and a center of cultural and religious activities in Thai Binh province.

Procession of the Mother Goddess's palanquin at the festival.

Saint Mother Lieu Hanh is the principal deity in the ancient Vietnamese belief system of worshipping the Three and Four Palaces. Along with Saint Tan Vien, Saint Giong, and Saint Chu Dong Tu, Saint Mother Lieu Hanh is one of the four immortal saints in folk legends, the daughter of the Jade Emperor. She is famous for her three reincarnations on earth, driven by her altruistic desire to alleviate suffering and enlighten the people. The Mother Temple in Le Hong Phong ward worships the three Saint Mothers of Van Huong: "Princess Lieu Hanh, Lady Duy Tien, and Lady Que Anh," representing the three incarnations of Saint Mother Lieu Hanh.

Saint Mother Lieu Hanh holds a particularly important position in Vietnam's Mother Goddess worship system. Her image has enduring vitality and longevity in the consciousness of the Vietnamese people. Besides the name Saint Mother Lieu Hanh, she is also known by other names such as Mother Second Immortal, Heavenly Immortal Saint Mother, and Horse Emperor Bodhisattva. Not only is she revered by the people, but she has also received numerous titles and honors from feudal dynasties, from the Later Le Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty, such as "Mother of the World," "Supreme and Most Sacred, Head of a Hundred Gods," and "Great King of Victory and Harmony." The legend of Saint Mother Lieu Hanh is linked to her three incarnations. During these incarnations, many folk tales recount her merits and achievements. These include her financial support for dike construction to prevent floods, her building of bridges and roads, and countless other projects that improved the lives of the people. She even performed miracles to bless the people in repelling foreign invaders. Folklore recounts that her third incarnation occurred during the Trinh-Nguyen civil war, a time of great suffering and hardship for the people. She traveled far and wide to save humanity and punish the wicked. It is no coincidence that our people revere Saint Mother Lieu Hanh with such profound and widespread admiration; this reverence has become a conscious belief deeply ingrained in the people's feelings and perceptions, guiding them towards the noble values of our nation's traditional morality.

Legend has it that the Mẫu Temple in Lê Hồng Phong ward has existed for hundreds of years and was rebuilt in 1926, the second year of Bảo Đại's reign. Historically, it was the main Mẫu Temple of Thái Bình province. During the war against the Americans, the Mẫu Temple, located in the Trần Phú area, suffered the most severe damage in Thái Bình city. This was due to the location of the Bo Bridge – a vital bridge on National Highway 10 connecting Hải Phòng , Thái Bình with Nam Định and other southern provinces – making it a prime target for fierce American attacks. Consequently, the Mẫu Temple was also affected. Of all the ancient structures, only the main gate on the left side of the temple remained. In 2019, on the site of the old Mẫu Temple, people from all over contributed to rebuilding it on a grand and spacious scale. In 2020, the Mẫu Temple was recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic.

Mr. Lai Manh Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Hong Phong Ward, said: "The Mother Goddess Temple, with its long history, is a spiritual gathering place for many people in the former Thai Binh town. Today, the temple is a place for preserving and maintaining the worship rituals in the Mother Goddess worship tradition according to national culture. The cultural space of Mother Goddess worship at the historical site has important significance in contributing to the dissemination, promotion, and raising public awareness and understanding of the land of Thai Binh through various historical periods. 2023 marks the first time the Mother Goddess Temple festival has been restored and organized after 50 years with many traditional rituals. This year, the Mother Goddess Temple festival has many traditional activities and rituals besides the procession of the Mother Goddess palanquin, such as the announcement ceremony, the sacrificial ceremony, the official ceremony, and the art program. The festival has the participation of many traditional ceremonial groups, drum groups, lion and dragon dance groups, along with monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers."

Lion and dragon dance troupe at the Mother Goddess Temple festival in 2024.

Mr. Doan Cong Nhien, head of the temple's relic protection team, said: "The legend of Saint Mother Lieu Hanh and the worship of her by the Vietnamese people are distinctive cultural pages, carrying profound educational significance, and will forever endure. This year's festival, Le Hong Phong ward, together with people from all over, organized a procession of the Mother Goddess along the Tra River and to various religious and spiritual sites within Thai Binh city, with the aim of remembering our origins and the beauty of our ancient culture. This is the traditional moral principle of 'drinking water, remembering the source,' to remind people and cultivate their moral character."

Ms. Hoang Thi Ngoan, from the Buddhist ceremonial group at the Mother Goddess Temple, shared: "We focus on practicing to prepare the rituals, songs, and dances for the festival, ensuring they are in line with the festival's meaning of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural beauty of the nation. The Mother Goddess Temple Festival in Le Hong Phong ward aims to honor the merits of our ancestors in the cause of defending the country and protecting national independence; at the same time, it contributes to the restoration, preservation, and development of the unique cultural values of the traditional festival; and to promote the values of the historical site, meeting the cultural and spiritual needs of the people. This is also one of the practical activities towards celebrating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the town and the 20th anniversary of the construction and development of Thai Binh city."