Discover Vietnam: Visit Nam Dinh

The whole Nam Dinh province has more than 1,300 relics, including two special national relics, including the Tran Temple relic cluster and Pho Minh Pagoda, Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda.

Pho Minh Pagoda, an 800-year-old pagoda in Nam Dinh. (Source: Vietnamnet)

“Land” of relics

Nam Dinh is located in the center of the southern region of the Red River Delta, the birthplace of the Tran Dynasty - the most prosperous dynasty in Vietnam's feudal history, a land with many relics and heritages.

The whole Nam Dinh province has more than 1,300 relics, including two special national relics (including the historical and architectural relic of Tran Temple and Pho Minh Pagoda and the architectural relic of Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda).

If Tran Temple represents the worship of Father, Phu Day is associated with the worship of Mother. Tran Temple has a ceremony to open the seal on the night of January 14, Phu Day is associated with Vieng market which meets once a year.

Nam Dinh has a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, which is the practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese people, dozens of national intangible cultural heritages such as Ca Tru singing, Chau Van rituals of Phu Day festival, Tran Temple Festival, Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda Festival, Cat Dang lacquer craft, Nam Dinh pho...

Nam Dinh province has three main religions: Buddhism, Catholicism and Protestantism. More than 800 pagodas are spread throughout the province, the oldest of which is Thap Pho Minh Pagoda, located in the Tran Temple - Thap Pagoda Special Historical and Cultural Relic Complex. This is a pagoda that worships both Buddha and Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong - the third king of the Tran Dynasty.

The famous traditional Pho Co dish of Nam Dinh hometown. (Source: Communist Party)

Nam Dinh has more than 660 churches. Bui Chu Diocese is located entirely in the area of ​​6 districts south of Dao River of Nam Dinh province, concentrating the majority of parishes and parishioners in the province.

The craft villages in Thanh Nam are also rich. This place gathers nearly 100 traditional craft villages, including many famous ones such as Tong Xa bronze casting, La Xuyen wood carving, Co Chat silk reeling, Cu Tru weaving, Vi Khe bonsai...

Special festivals

Tran Temple Festival is one of the festivals held on a large scale and attracts a large number of visitors from all over the country. Tran Temple consists of three outstanding architectural works: Thien Truong Temple (Upper Temple), Co Trach Temple (Lower Temple) and Trung Hoa Temple.

The seal opening ceremony at Tran Temple began around the 13th century during the Tran Dynasty in 1239. This was the ancestral ceremony of the Tran family. Also at Thien Truong Palace, the Tran Kings held banquets and conferred titles on officials who had contributed to the country. Since the Mongol invasion, the festival was interrupted and was reopened by King Tran Thanh Tong in 1269.

Since then, the Tran Temple Seal Opening Ceremony has taken place on the 15th day of the first lunar month, usually at night from 11pm on the 14th day of the first lunar month to dawn on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh - Head of the Tran Temple and Thap Pagoda Relics Management Board - said that the Tran Temple Festival in 2024 will welcome about one million visitors, and nearly 300,000 seals have been distributed. This year, the Tran Temple Seal Opening Night took place in heavy rain, but visitors from all over the country still stayed up all night, waiting in the rain to distribute the seals.

The Tran Temple Opening Ceremony always attracts a large number of visitors. (Source: VnE)

It has become a tradition that on the 7th and 8th of January, tourists flock to Nam Dinh to attend the Vieng fair. According to ancient beliefs, this fair has the meaning of "buying luck and selling bad luck".

Vieng market is also an opportunity for people to exchange experiences in raising livestock, growing crops and displaying and selling products from traditional craft villages. The word Vieng in Vieng market means “to return”, “together”, gathering, converging and having fun together.

Visitors to Vieng market do not need to bargain. Locals believe that if sellers do not haggle and buyers do not haggle, it will bring luck and convenience to both parties.

At the beginning of the year, Nam Dinh is also famous for the Phu Day festival honoring Holy Mother Lieu Hanh - a main deity in the four immortals of the Vietnamese people and of the traditional Mother worship belief.

The festival has many unique activities, the most prominent of which are the art of singing and spirit mediumship. According to cultural researchers, the Phu Day festival is an important component in creating the grand performance of the epic Lieu Hanh.

This festival has three main rituals including the torch procession, the Mother Goddess procession and the flower-staff festival (also known as the calligraphy festival). The Phu Day Festival and the Chau Van ritual of the Vietnamese people are included in the list of national intangible cultural heritages. The practice of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese people is recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Phu Day Festival is one of the typical festivals of Nam Dinh province. (Source: Cong Ly)

Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda Festival (Hanh Thien village, Xuan Truong district, Nam Dinh province) is an occasion for villagers to show gratitude to the saint who has contributed to the country, pray for favorable weather, prosperity, happiness, and is imbued with the cultural identity of the local community.

This festival is a form of cultural activity associated with the worship of the holy ancestor Zen Master Khong Lo - a national teacher of the Ly Dynasty who had many contributions to saving the country and helping the people, teaching people fishing, agriculture, bronze casting, medicine making, etc.

The pagoda holds two festivals a year: the Spring Festival on the occasion of Lunar New Year and the September festival on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of the lunar calendar to celebrate the birthday of the founder Khong Lo.

Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda Festival still preserves ancient rituals such as presenting Buddha and saints, welcoming, wearing royal robes, raising flags...

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/kham-pha-viet-nam-ghe-tham-nam-dinh-dia-phuong-tham-dam-van-hoa-lich-su-284192.html