Buddhists and tourists brave the cold rain to open the spring festival "Bai Dinh echoes for a thousand years"

The opening ceremony of Bai Dinh Pagoda (Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh Province) takes place annually on the 6th day of the first lunar month. This is a long-standing traditional festival held at this thousand-year-old pagoda.

Venerable Thich Minh Quang, Deputy Abbot of Bai Dinh Pagoda, said that Bai Dinh Pagoda has a thousand-year history with an area of nearly 1,900 hectares, and is one of the famous landscapes of the ancient capital Hoa Lu.

"According to legend, this is where King Dinh Tien Hoang set up an altar to worship heaven at the beginning of spring every year to pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and bountiful harvests. It was also the place where King Quang Trung chose to perform the flag-raising ceremony and encourage his soldiers before marching to Thang Long to defeat the Qing army," Venerable Quang shared, adding that the annual Bai Dinh spring festival is held to show gratitude to the ancestors who contributed to the country's founding.

The opening ceremony of Bai Dinh Pagoda took place with many solemn and respectful rituals such as: offering incense to pray for national peace and prosperity, offering six offerings; commemorating the merits of National Master Nguyen Minh Khong, worshiping Cao Son god and paying homage to the Holy Mother of the Upper Realm...

At the ceremony, Mr. Doan Minh Huan, Secretary of Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee, beat the drum to open the festival, Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, rang the bell to open the spring festival of Bai Dinh Pagoda.

The opening day of Bai Dinh Pagoda festival in the spring of At Ty this year was rainy and cold, but it still could not stop the footsteps of tens of thousands of Buddhists and tourists from all over the world from flocking to the oldest and largest pagoda in Vietnam with many Vietnamese and world records to attend the opening ceremony, worship Buddha and enjoy the spring.

In the cold rainy weather, many people had to cover their bodies with warm clothes and raincoats to attend the spring opening ceremony.

Anh Quoc Phan (from Thanh Hoa) shared: "Every year, my family and I attend the Bai Dinh spring festival in the first days of the new year. This is a typical festival of the North, blending the beauty of Buddhism and Vietnamese folk traditions. Going to the pagoda is not only a pilgrimage but also an opportunity to learn about the culture and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of Ninh Binh."

It was raining and very cold, but it could not stop tens of thousands of Buddhists and tourists from coming to the pagoda on the opening day of the festival. Going to the pagoda on the first day of the new year is a beautiful tradition of the Vietnamese people for thousands of years. In the new year, everyone prays for a peaceful and happy life, favorable weather, and good crops.

Bai Dinh Spring Festival is increasingly attracting locals and tourists. In addition to the solemn rituals that have been restored, the festival with rituals such as: carrying the palanquin to worship Cao Son God, Duc Thanh Nguyen, Ba Chua Thuong Ngan, carrying the palanquin to the ancient pagoda and the art program also attracts a large number of people.

Venerable Thich Minh Quang added that the Bai Dinh Spring Festival - At Ty 2025 with the theme "Thousand years of Bai Dinh's return" once again affirms the great historical and cultural values of the thousand-year-old pagoda in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.

"This year's Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival opens on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Party's founding (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2025), welcoming Hoa Lu city to achieve the criteria of a class I urban area and moving towards Ninh Binh becoming a centrally-governed city, with the characteristics of a millennium heritage urban area and a creative city," Venerable Quang emphasized.

Tourists flock to Bai Dinh Pagoda to visit and worship in the spring, increasing in number after the opening ceremony.