Yen Bai city develops spiritual tourism associated with cultural preservation

Yen Bai city currently has 24 relics, including 3 national historical revolutionary relics and 21 provincial relics (4 historical revolutionary relics, 17 communal houses, temples, and pagodas). The festival activities at the communal houses, temples, and pagodas in the city have attracted about 10,000 people to visit, worship, sightsee, and burn incense to pray for wealth and peace.

>> Spiritual tourism attraction

>> Highlights of Nam Cuong Temple Festival

Nam Cuong Temple was built in 1923 to worship Holy Mother Linh Tu, Tran Trieu Hien Thanh Hung Dao Dai Vuong and Princess Lieu Hanh to show respect and pray for the people's happiness. After the ups and downs of history, in 1998, Nam Cuong communal house - temple began to be restored, with contributions from the people to build according to the ancient temple - communal house architecture. In 2005, Yen Bai Provincial People's Committee recognized Nam Cuong communal house - temple - Van Thang pagoda in Nam Cuong ward as a provincial historical - cultural relic.

Every year on the full moon day of the first lunar month, the Nam Cuong Temple Festival is solemnly held, including the ceremony and the festival. The opening ceremony of the procession, offering incense to the Holy Mother Linh Tu and Buddha prays for favorable weather, protection and protection for all people, a peaceful new year, and happiness for everyone. During the Nam Cuong Temple Festival, the bird release ceremony becomes a meaningful cultural and spiritual beauty of the people, expressing the wishes between people and the natural world . The family chosen by the elders and all the people in the ward to perform the bird release ceremony must be healthy, have a prosperous business, and have obedient children and successful in their studies. 12 pigeons are released with the wish that the villagers will be peaceful and happy for 12 months of the year.

Right after the bird release ceremony is the longevity celebration for the elderly in the ward, demonstrating the traditional Vietnamese morality of "respecting the elderly and loving the young". The ward also organizes awards and honors for students with high academic achievements and conducts the fish release ceremony on the central lake with the wish for a year full of happiness and success for all people. At the same time, the unique traditional cultural beauty that people and tourists look forward to at the Nam Cuong Temple Festival is the boat racing festival that attracts many participants to practice health and demonstrate the spirit of solidarity to overcome hardships, believing in a bright future.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha - Secretary of the Nam Cuong Ward Party Committee said: "In 2024, the Nam Cuong Communal House - Temple - Pagoda area was severely affected by storm No. 3, but to ensure the festival takes place to serve the cultural and spiritual enjoyment needs of the people and tourists, the ward has proposed and received approval from the city to renovate the facilities to create a spacious appearance of the communal house as well as the surrounding lake embankment area. In addition to traditional activities, the Festival also has a new feature such as singing Quan Ho folk songs on boats, on floating stage models, singing on bridges... The activities taking place in the Festival are imbued with historical and traditional cultural values, demonstrating the spirit of solidarity, leaving an unforgettable impression in the hearts of the people and tourists".

Located on the left bank of the Red River in Yen Ninh Ward, Tuan Quan Temple has long been known as a sacred place for Buddhists to pray for peace and is considered an indispensable destination in the spiritual tourism journey of people and tourists from near and far every spring festival season. Every year on the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month, the Mother Goddess Festival is held here to show respect, gratitude and commemorate the merits of Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh - the highest deity worshiped in the temple, attracting thousands of people and tourists from inside and outside the province to visit and worship.

Ms. Do Minh Tram in Yen Ninh ward, Yen Bai city shared: "My family always keeps the habit of going to temples and pagodas to pray for wealth and luck at the beginning of the year or during Mother Goddess festivals. To show my respect, I offer them incense, flowers, and offerings to pray for my family to always be healthy, happy, and peaceful."

Through historical periods, the temple has not only been a place for cultural and religious activities of the people and tourists, but also a place to mark important events and historical milestones of the country associated with the names of national heroes and patriots, a place to gather forces, support and donate to serve the resistance war. In 2005, Tuan Quan Temple was recognized as a provincial historical and cultural relic - a place for cultural and religious activities of the majority of people in and outside the province with many tangible and intangible relics still preserved. After the worshiping and incense offering ceremony, the festival is organized with many activities including: offering trays to the Mother Goddess, tug of war, chess, stick pushing, blindfolded duck catching... Through the form of cultural activities imbued with folk identity, the festival has become more lively and truly become a meaningful cultural exchange place for people and tourists from all over the world.

Mr. Luong Xuan Quyet - Chairman of Yen Ninh Ward People's Committee said: "Maintaining the organization of the Festival not only affirms the continuation, preservation and promotion of the unique cultural features of the nation's Mother Goddess worship, but also serves as a source of encouragement and motivation for the Party Committee, government and people of the ward to be more determined and complete the task of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage associated with tourism development".

The sacred traditional festivals held at temples and pagodas have been promoting intangible cultural values, which are rituals, cultural and spiritual activities... associated with long-standing historical and cultural relics such as: Tuan Quan Temple (Yen Ninh Ward), Ba Ao Trang Temple (Hop Minh Ward), Nam Cuong Temple (Nam Cuong Ward)... creating conditions for Yen Bai city to aim at connecting the region to form tours to learn about cultural history, landscapes, and worship, becoming an ideal and attractive destination for tourists from all over the world.

Bui Minh

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/226/348316/Thanh-pho-Yen-Bai-phat-trien-du-lich-tam-spiritual-gan-voi-bao-ton-van-hoa.aspx