Burning votive paper has been restricted at temples in Nghe An during the early spring.
Every Lunar New Year and the first days of Spring, spiritual tourist attractions in Nghe An always welcome a large number of tourists and locals to visit and worship. However, unlike previous years, this At Ty Tet has recorded a clear change when the burning of votive paper has gradually been limited.
At Ong Hoang Muoi Temple (Hung Thinh Commune, Hung Nguyen District), the scene has changed a lot in the early days of Spring. In the past, it was easy to see giant paper horses lining up to enter the temple to worship and burn votive papers, but now that image has become rare.
According to the representative of the temple management board, for a long time, people believed that Ong Hoang Muoi was a talented general who needed a horse to fight in the battlefield, so many people who went to the temple did not hesitate to buy a large paper horse to pray for peace, wealth and fortune. However, this was not only costly but also posed a risk of fire and environmental pollution.
Aiming for a more civilized religious culture, since 2024, the Temple Management Board has implemented many measures such as re-planning the sales area, tightening service activities and especially promoting daily propaganda through the loudspeaker system. The gentle but persistent propaganda has gradually changed people's awareness. Thanks to that, this At Ty Tet, the burning of votive paper has significantly decreased, bringing a more peaceful space to the relic site.
Not only at Ong Hoang Muoi Temple, this change was also recorded at Qua Son Temple (Boi Son Commune, Do Luong District). After Tet, the number of pilgrims, although not as crowded as the first days of the year, was still quite bustling. However, instead of offering trays full of votive papers and billowing incense smoke, people now prefer simpler offerings, with very little votive papers.
However, in the service area of the temple, the activity of writing petitions to pray to the stars to ward off bad luck is still quite busy. According to the representative of the temple management board, there is only the service of writing petitions and not organizing star worship ceremonies like many other places, and the service price is completely up to the visitors.
Ms. Phan Phuoc Lan, a tourist from Vinh city, shared: "As I understand it, offering prayers to the stars to ward off bad luck is an Eastern custom with profound humanistic meaning. Therefore, when I came to Qua Son temple, I wrote a simple prayer to pray for a peaceful year."
Some pictures at Ong Hoang Muoi Temple and Qua Son Temple:
.jpg "Đô Lương sẽ tổ chức Hội thi Dân ca ví, giặm Nghệ Tĩnh tại Lễ hội Đền Quả Sơn năm 2025")
