Opening Ceremony of the Bach Ma Temple Festival 2024
(Baonghean.vn) - The Bach Ma Temple Festival 2024 officially opened on the morning of March 19th with traditional rituals, rich in national identity.
The 2024 Bach Ma Temple Festival was held to commemorate and express gratitude for the merits of General Phan Da, a general who made great contributions to the Lam Son army in the resistance war against the Ming invaders.
Attending the event were leaders from the Department of Culture and Sports, the Provincial Relics Management Board; leaders from the Party Committee, government, Fatherland Front and mass organizations of Thanh Chuong district, along with representatives from Vo Liet and Thanh Long communes.
The Bach Ma Temple complex was built during the Le Dynasty to worship Phan Da, a young general who contributed to the resistance against the Ming army in the first half of the 15th century.
The Bach Ma Temple Festival originated with the formation of Bach Ma Temple, dating back over 500 years. It is the oldest festival in Nghe An province, possessing many unique traditional cultural values of the Thanh Chuong region; it is considered an "International Ceremony" – a state-sponsored ritual with a court official as the chief officiant.
Throughout its history, the Bach Ma Temple Festival has undergone many changes to adapt to the changing context and conditions. Since 1994, when it was classified as a "National Historical, Cultural, and Architectural Artistic Monument" by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the Party Committee, government, and people of Thanh Chuong district have restored the festival with all its ancient rituals and festivities. In 2020, the Bach Ma Temple Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Bach Ma Temple Festival in 2024 will be held from the 7th to the 10th of the second lunar month (corresponding to March 16-19, 2024).
Before the opening ceremony and the grand sacrificial ceremony, from the 7th to the 9th of February (lunar calendar), the festival organizing committee and the people held traditional sacrificial rituals, including the purification ceremony at Bach Ma Temple and Phu Ngoai - the residence of General Phan Da; the announcement ceremony at Bach Ma Temple; the procession of palanquins from Bach Ma Temple through the villages of Vo Liet and Thanh Long communes; and the incense offering ceremony at Phu Ngoai (Minh Tan village, Vo Liet commune) and at the tomb of General Phan Da (Long Bien hamlet, Thanh Long commune).
The festival featured vibrant cultural and sporting activities, attracting a large number of locals and tourists, including men's volleyball competitions, folk games such as wrestling, pot smashing, chess, volleyball, tug-of-war, etc.; and booths showcasing and promoting OCOP products and specialties of Thanh Chuong district.
At the opening ceremony this morning, the festival organizers held a solemn ritual offering to the gods in the style of ancient royal court culture. Following the ritual offering, this afternoon, the organizers will hold a thanksgiving ceremony and the closing ceremony of the festival.
To preserve and promote the national intangible cultural heritage of the Bach Ma Temple Festival in conjunction with tourism development, Thanh Chuong district is coordinating with relevant departments and units to promote the planning and inclusion of the Bach Ma Temple Festival on the province's tourism map and spiritual and cultural tour routes; and to research the diversification of characteristic tourism products of the Thanh Chuong region.
