The woman associated with the Festival of Lady of the Land of Sam Mountain

Mrs. Vuong practices rituals in the Lady Temple

As a child, her house was near the temple of Ba, and she had relatives working there, so Ms. Vuong was familiar with this place. The opportunity became even deeper when she was accepted to work at the temple right after graduating from college (in 2001). This is a social organization, a self-supporting public service unit, directly under the People's Committee of Chau Doc City, with full policies for employees. She became one of the first employees of the unit to be properly trained, meeting the job standards at that time.

According to Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker (Head of UNESCO Representative Office in Vietnam), intangible cultural heritage is expressed in rituals, festivals, art performances, and social practices. They are the lifeblood of the community, passed down from generation to generation, shaped by collective experience, the creativity of its holders, and constantly recreated to maintain relevance in an ever-changing world. This is completely true with the story of Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Vuong and many individuals who have worked and are working at the Sam Mountain Mausoleum Management Board.

Approaching a vast field, imbued with folk beliefs, while still very young, Ms. Vuong has made an effort to both work and learn all the tasks related to the ritual of worshiping the Lady of the Land. That effort was recognized: In 2009, she officially took charge of the ritual of bathing the Lady. “The bathing ceremony takes place at midnight on the 23rd and early morning of the 24th of the 4th lunar month, but before that (the 15th of the 4th lunar month), hundreds of people gathered at the Lady's temple, bringing fabrics, needles and threads... to organize the sewing of the Lady's clothes. Without the need for the temple's management board to announce, on the right day, everyone gathered in large numbers, clearly demonstrating the community identity of the Lady's spirit. As a woman, conveniently taking charge of the work of serving the Lady of the Land, I feel very proud, love it, and always do my best, with all my abilities" - Ms. Vuong expressed.

After hundreds of years, the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival and the legends and anecdotes about the sacredness of the Holy Mother have been widely spread throughout the country and abroad. In her first year working at the mausoleum, Ms. Vuong witnessed the Festival organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). In addition to the traditional ceremony, there is also a festival associated with the Cultural and Sports Week lasting from the 20th to the 27th of the fourth lunar month. Since 2002, the Festival program has included the ritual of carrying the statue of the Lady from the top of Sam Mountain down to the temple. In 2014, with its typical historical and cultural values ​​and special significance to the community, the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The joy of being attached to this special job is clearly shown in each of Ms. Vuong's words: "Next year, the festival will be more magnificent and crowded than the previous year, which means our responsibilities will be heavier. I myself take on many tasks, including preparing offerings and performing many important rituals in the festival. For example, I personally select each flower, each type of fruit, incense, etc. to ensure that everything is fresh, delicious, and most beautiful. We leave home very early and always return very late, after everything is completed. Almost everyone works regardless of hours. In addition to performing the ritual of worshiping the Lady, each member of the unit also spends time welcoming and supporting visitors from many places to visit and worship. Being present at the Lady Temple late at night, lasting until early morning, is very normal. I always feel proud when people put their spiritual faith in the Lady, in the activities of the temple management board, and in me."

Calculating back, after 24 years of attachment, Ms. Vuong affirms that she has "gained" a lot. That is health, an almost never-ending source of energy. It is a great honor to be able to welcome, explain, and guide millions of visitors to the Lady's temple in particular, and the scenic complex in the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area in general. "I consider this place my second home, spending almost all my time serving the Lady, serving tourists. To preserve and promote the value of the representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Sam Mountain Lady Festival in the coming time, we will definitely focus on practicing, creating and teaching the heritage in the community" - Ms. Vuong concluded the story with me with suggestions for the future.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-gan-bo-voi-le-hoi-via-ba-chua-xu-nui-sam-a418138.html