Yen Thai communal house festival celebrates the 981st anniversary of the birth of Empress Dowager Y Lan

Located at the intersection of Tam Thuong alley and Yen Thai street (Hang Gai ward, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi) Yen Thai communal house is the place to worship Queen Mother Y Lan, the first wife of King Ly Thanh Tong, mother of King Ly Nhan Tong.

Queen Mother Y Lan's real name was Le Thi Yen, born on March 7, year of Giap Than (1044), from Tho Loi village (now Duong Xa commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi city).

During more than half a century (1063-1117) as the First Concubine, then Queen, and Regent of the Ly Dynasty, Y Lan First Concubine proved to be an outstanding woman, talented in governing the country, helping the king and the country. She was regent twice, helping the king defeat the enemy, valuing agriculture and mulberry, loving the poor, strictly upholding the law, punishing those who abused power and were corrupt, and was praised as "Ly Dai Mau Nghi".

To commemorate her merits, every year, the Party Committee, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee of Hang Gai ward organize a festival to demonstrate the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", expressing respect and gratitude to Holy Mother Y Lan.

The place of worship of Empress Dowager Y Lan at Yen Thai communal house.

Yen Thai Communal House was built very early, bearing the architectural style of the Nguyen Dynasty. Through many ups and downs, the communal house has been restored and renovated many times. Currently, the communal house still preserves many valuable documents and artifacts. On January 16, 1995, the communal house was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic.

Within the framework of the festival, the People's Committee of Hang Gai Ward coordinated with artist, curator Nguyen The Son, lecturer of the University of Arts - Hanoi National University and a group of young artists "from tradition to tradition" to organize the art exhibition "Sac lua", honoring the value of silk weaving due to the merit of Nguyen Phi Y Lan teaching to the people of Yen Thai village in the past.

This activity also aims to concretize the content of Directive No. 30/CT-TTg dated August 29, 2024 of the Prime Minister on the development of Vietnam's cultural industries; Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU dated February 22, 2022 of the Hanoi Party Committee on the development of cultural industries in the capital for the period 2021-2025, orientation to 2030, vision to 2045.

Some pictures of festival preparations by people and officials of Hang Gai Ward People's Committee:

This year, the team of leaders, civil servants and grassroots cadres of the ward have mobilized all resources to organize the festival.

People of Hang Gai ward volunteered to make and decorate the palanquin.

Preparations for the festival by officials of the People's Committee of Hang Gai Ward.

The festival received the support and consensus of the people.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/le-hoi-dinh-yen-thai-ky-niem-981-nam-ngay-sinh-nguyen-phi-hoang-thai-hau-y-lan-post869504.html