Opening Ceremony of Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival, Receiving UNESCO Patronage Certificate
(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of March 30th, Xuan Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, solemnly held the opening ceremony of the Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival 2018 and received the UNESCO Patronage Certificate. Attending the ceremony were representatives from the Department of Culture and Sports, leaders of Yen Thanh district, along with a large number of monks, nuns, Buddhists, and visitors from all over.
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| Gam Temple and Pagoda on the opening day of the festival. |
Gam Temple and Pagoda is an ancient and sacred complex with beautiful and unique architecture, featuring exquisite carvings that reflect the skill, sophistication, aspirations, and reverence of the people of the past for the merits of the gods, Buddha, and their ancestors.
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| A large number of tourists came to the festival. |
Gam Temple was built during the Tran Dynasty to worship deities who contributed to protecting the nation and its people, such as Cao Son, Cao Cac, Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon, Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang, Tu Vi Thanh Nuong, and Ly Thien Cuong. Gam Pagoda is a religious architectural work, built by the people to worship Buddha Shakyamuni and various Bodhisattvas.
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| Representatives of the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations presented the UNESCO Patronage Certificate to the abbot of Gam Temple and Pagoda. |
With its immense historical and cultural value, the Gam temple and pagoda complex was recognized as a Provincial-level Historical and Cultural Monument by the Provincial People's Committee in 2007.
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| Delegates offer incense at Gam Pagoda. |
This year's Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival takes place over three days, from March 29th to March 31st (corresponding to the 13th to 15th days of the second lunar month of the Year of the Dog), with many unique festival activities: the opening ceremony, the announcement ceremony, the procession of the deity, the grand sacrificial ceremony, folk games (stick pushing, pot smashing, human chess, etc.), sports competitions, and performances of traditional opera and folk theater. The procession of the deity from Gam Temple and Pagoda to Ru Gam Temple and back, with the participation of thousands of visitors, is a major highlight of the festival.
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| The wrestling matches at the festival are captivating. |
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| Volleyball matches attract thousands of spectators. |
The Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival is held annually to preserve, conserve, and promote national cultural forms. It is an opportunity to express the people's faith and reverence for the merits of the gods, Buddha, and ancestors, while also showcasing the image of Yen Thanh, the rice-growing region.
