Nam Dinh artists with the theme of Mother Goddess worship

As a land that preserves many unique cultural heritages, Nam Dinh is considered one of the major centers of Mother Goddess worship in Vietnam. UNESCO's recognition of "The practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity (in 2016) further affirms the profound meaning and humanistic value of this special spiritual cultural beauty. To contribute to introducing and preserving traditional cultural values, many artists of Nam Dinh have devoted themselves to composing, researching, and organizing artistic activities inspired by the theme of Mother Goddess worship.

The photo "Torch procession at Phu Tien Huong night" by author Dinh Van Quan was selected to exhibit at the Vietnam Tourism Photo Contest 2018.

Photography is one of the most vibrant subjects of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association (VHNT) with many members regularly exploiting the theme of festivals, including the Mother Goddess worship. Among them, Photographer Chu The Vinh left a deep impression with his creative experience and the quality of content and art. The photo collection "Hoi Phu Day" includes 8 works, typically "Ruoc thinh kinh" and "Hoa truong hoi" capturing the bustling, solemn atmosphere of the Mother Goddess worship ceremony at the Tien Huong Palace and Van Cat Palace. The photo collection was exhibited at the 2014 Vietnam Heritage Competition, affirming the talent of Artist Chu The Vinh in combining the elements of artistic photography and journalism. In addition, many photos of Artist Chu The Vinh were chosen as the cover pages of Nam Dinh Newspaper and Van Nhan Magazine every time Tet comes and Spring comes. A typical example is the photo "Hat hoi Phu Day" - Cover of Nam Dinh Spring Newspaper, which was honored with the C Prize at the National Press Festival in 2018. After more than 30 years of working with photography, he has continuously pursued a new journey: traveling to villages and festivals to capture cultural moments. Artist Chu The Vinh always believes: "If I don't take pictures, who knows, those precious images will gradually fall into oblivion. Preserving culture is also preserving national pride". Following the previous generation, many young members of the photography department have also initially achieved success. Notably, young author Dinh Van Quan with the photo "Torch procession at Phu Tien Huong Night". The work made an impression at the Vietnam Tourism Photo Contest in 2018. The camera angle taken from above has captured the shimmering space, hundreds of bright torches and the lotus lake covered in magical mist. The contrast between the mysterious darkness and the bright torchlight creates a strong visual effect, both enhancing the sacred atmosphere and depicting the excitement of the festival.

Not only stopping at photography, Nam Dinh Painting also has typical faces contributing to spreading the value of Mother Goddess worship. Each artist chooses different materials and expressive styles, but they all meet in their love for festival customs and typical cultural rituals. Painter Dang Khac Thiem impresses with a painting style that harmoniously combines personal emotions and skillful techniques. In 2021, he introduced the oil painting "Village Festival", inspired by the Dong Phu Temple Festival (Nam Truc). The work has a multi-layered composition, tightly arranged, creating a solemn feeling. Looking at the painting, viewers are immersed in the bustling atmosphere with the image of the lion dance team, the lion, the dragon and the solemn procession, heading towards the temple gate with the words "Mother Goddess of the world". The combination of solemn and bustling elements makes the overall work both attractive and profound. The work "Village Festival" was exhibited at the Red River Delta exhibition in 2023, then continued to be present at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, printed in the book "Vietnam's Heritage through Painting for the First Time" and the exhibition "Non Coi Song Vi". These exhibitions not only honored the talent of painter Dang Khac Thiem, but also contributed to strongly promoting the Dong Phu Temple Festival as well as the cultural values ​​of Mother Goddess worship. Also in the field of fine arts, recently, painter Do Liem attracted attention with the silk painting "Vietnamese Cultural Identity", created in 2023 and exhibited in the Red River Delta, held in Hai Phong. The theme he exploited was Hau Dong - a main ritual in the practice of Mother Goddess worship. On silk, Do Liem displayed brilliant colors but still ensured the characteristic harmony and clarity. In the center of the painting, the medium stands out with his graceful fan-holding posture, surrounded by colorful elephants, horses, and magical clouds and smoke, evoking a scene of transition between the visible and invisible worlds. The work “Vietnamese Cultural Identity” affirms the sacred value of the mediumship belief, while honoring the contemporary and creative nature of art. Choosing the mediumship theme is also Do Liem’s way of emphasizing the importance of Mother Goddess worship in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.

In the research and criticism section of the Nam Dinh Literature and Arts Association, many individuals have devoted their knowledge to the topic of Mother Goddess worship. The authors have devoted their hearts to preserving and decoding historical documents, steles, ancient books, providing scientific analysis, contributing to systematizing and helping the public understand correctly the value of the practice of Mother Goddess worship of the Three Palaces. Researcher Bui Van Tam, over 90 years old this year, is one of the veteran members of the Research and Criticism section (Provincial Literature and Arts Association). He owns over 40 books and research works on history and culture, in which works related to the land of "Thien Ban Luc Ky" are highly appreciated by researchers. Some of his typical books on Mother Goddess worship include “Phu Day and Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh’s belief” (Ethnic Culture Publishing House 2001), “Phu Day and the goddesses of Vu Ban in Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh’s belief” (Hong Duc Publishing House 2020). In this series of books, researcher Bui Van Tam focuses on analyzing the position of Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh, recording the historical and cultural relics of Phu Day, festival rituals, spirit mediumship rituals, as well as the meaning that the local community entrusts to the Mother Goddess. His publications are considered valuable original documents, serving the process of preserving and promoting the important religious heritage of Nam Dinh province. Researcher Ho Duc Tho, former staff of the Provincial Museum, has been a member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association since 1990 and the Vietnam Folk Arts Association since 1995. In his career of more than 25 published books, he has devoted special efforts to studying the Mother Goddess worship through accessing steles, parallel sentences, and surveying rituals at many relics across the country. In 2000, the book "Mother Goddess Lieu Epic" (Ethnic Culture Publishing House) was published, focusing on exploiting the legends and influences of the Mother Goddess Lieu worship. After that, he continuously published works such as "The Legend of Saint Mother Lieu Hanh and the Cultural Heritage of Phu Day Festival" (2004), "Northern Hau Bong" (2014), "Vietnamese Hau Bong, Experiences and Spiritual Effects" (2017). Notably, the book on spirit mediumship published in 2017 won the B Prize from the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and the Encouragement Prize from the Central Council for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts. This work is considered a valuable reference material, providing both a scientific and practical view of the spirit mediumship ritual and its scope of influence in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.

If photography, painting and critical research are the obvious "spearheads" in the creation of the Mother Goddess worship belief, in reality in Nam Dinh, many other subjects are also contributing to "thickening" the treasure trove of art bearing the mark of this spiritual culture. On the Cheo and drama stages, many plays are composed with the element of Hau Dong, the story of the Mother Goddess, or the legendary image of "Co Doi Thuong Ngan". Prose works such as short stories, novels and poems by members of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association also attract readers through materials taken from the sacredness and mystery of Phu Day or from folk tales about goddesses in the Mother Goddess culture. These works not only evoke pride in their origins but also demonstrate the depth of awareness of artists in grasping social psychology and conveying humanistic messages. Thanks to the "joint efforts" of various art forms, the Mother Goddess worship belief has spread to a diverse audience, from local people to tourists and researchers at home and abroad.

Preserving and promoting heritage is a common responsibility of the community, in which artists play a pioneering role. They connect the past with the present, honor traditional values, and at the same time raise thoughts and criticisms in the context of integration. Through meaningful works, artists of Nam Dinh have contributed to bringing the Mother Goddess worship belief to life, affirming the profound spiritual value of this heritage in community life.

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Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/van-nghe-si-nam-dinh-voi-de-tai-tin-nguong-tho-mau-94c37bb/