(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of February 13th (the 14th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse), at the tomb of King Mai (Dun Son mountain, Van Dien commune, Nam Dan district), the People's Committee of Nam Dan district, in coordination with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized the opening ceremony of the King Mai Temple Festival 2014.
Attending the ceremony were comrades Nguyen Xuan Thang - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science; Hoang Xuan Luong - Deputy Minister, Vice Chairman of the Government's Committee for Ethnic Minorities; Nguyen Van Thuoc - Former Director of the Government Office; representatives of provincial departments and agencies, leaders of Nam Dan district; representatives of the Nam Dan Hometown Association in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, along with a large number of people from Nam Dan and visitors from all over.
At the opening ceremony, in her opening speech for the 2014 King Mai Temple Festival, Ms. Le Thi Hang – Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee and Head of the Organizing Committee of the 2014 King Mai Temple Festival – affirmed the continuing cultural value of the King Mai Temple Festival, held annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month in Nam Dan district to commemorate the merits of King Mai and his generals, and to recall the heroic spirit and indomitable will of the Hoan Chau uprising against the Tang dynasty's rule for national independence for nearly 10 years, from 713 to 722.
The organization of the 2014 King Mai Temple Festival aimed to educate the public about the nation's patriotic and revolutionary traditions, to awaken national pride and self-respect among all segments of the population, especially the younger generation, and to motivate them to strive for the successful fulfillment of assigned political tasks and responsibilities. It also provided an opportunity for the people to participate in and enjoy cultural values through the festival's activities; on the one hand, it contributed to promoting and introducing the people and land of Nam Dan, a place of "spiritual and talented people," to visitors from all over, thereby boosting tourism development and fostering unity and cooperation for mutual development.
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| Procession of offerings at the King Mai Temple Festival in 2014 |
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| Procession at King Mai Temple |
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| Mr. Thai Van Nong, Chairman of the District People's Committee, beat the drum to officially open the King Mai Temple Festival in 2014. |
Following this, Mr. Thai Van Nong – Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dan District – beat the drum to officially open the 2014 King Mai Temple Festival. The drum ensemble then joined in with a spectacular and captivating lion dance performance, leaving a positive impression on the local people and visitors from all over who attended the festival. After the eulogy recounting the life, career, and merits of King Mai, the central and provincial leaders, along with the people and visitors from all over, offered incense to commemorate the contributions of King Mai and his generals.
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| Central Committee leaders offer incense to commemorate King Mai and his generals. |
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| Representatives from provincial departments and agencies offered incense to commemorate King Mai and his generals. |
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| Numerous visitors from all over the country came to offer incense at the tomb of King Mai. |
Following the opening ceremony, central and provincial leaders, leaders of Nam Dan district and other localities, along with people from all walks of life, went to the temple of King Mai in Nam Dan town to perform the grand ceremony according to the traditional rituals of the nation and offered incense, flowers, and prayers at the temple of King Mai.
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| Locals and tourists offer incense at the tomb of King Mai. |
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| Grand ceremony at the temple of King Mai |
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| Lion and dragon dance performance at the opening ceremony of the King Mai Temple Festival in 2014. |
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| Playing human chess at the Temple of King Mai. |
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| Cockfighting at the King Mai Temple Festival in 2014. |
The 2014 King Mai Temple Festival continues from now until February 14th (the 15th day of the first lunar month) with many lively activities, including folk games such as wrestling, cockfighting, card games, human chess, swinging, carousel...; combined with modern activities such as volleyball, table tennis, camping, art performances,... The thanksgiving ceremony will be held on the afternoon of February 14th (the 15th day of the first lunar month) at three historical sites: King Mai's tomb, King Mai's temple, and the tomb of King Mai's mother.
Minh Chi
