Nghe An province currently has nearly 2,500 historical and cultural relics, this system of relics stretches from the sea to the highlands, associated with beliefs - religions or famous people, events and has value in terms of architecture, art, history and culture. Thereby, showing the typical marks of cultural traditions and people, contributing significantly to the richness, diversity and uniqueness of the Nghe cultural region.
In the first days of the year, the number of tourists visiting temples and pagodas in Nghe An is more crowded than usual. Most of the visitors come to visit, admire the scenery and pray to the gods and Buddha for protection, blessing and fortune. At the Con Temple tourist site (Hoang Mai town), Ong Hoang Muoi Temple tourist site (Hung Nguyen) and some other temples and pagodas in the province, there are many groups of visitors from the northern provinces bringing offerings to pray for peace.
Coming from Hau Loc district (Thanh Hoa), Ms. Trinh Thi Hien said: “Every year, my family and friends rent a car to Nghe An at least twice to pray for peace at the beginning of the year and give thanks at the end of the year at Ong Hoang Muoi temple. After that, we spend time visiting and offering prayers at some places such as Quang Trung temple in Vinh city, Dai Tue pagoda in Nam Dan, Truong Bon National Historical Site and Qua Son temple in Do Luong”.
Part of the group of visitors from Hai Duong province, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ngan said: In Nghe An, there are many sacred temples, including Ong Hoang Muoi temple in Hung Nguyen district, near Vinh city. In recent years, Ms. Ngan has followed a group of friends here to pray at the beginning of the year and give thanks at the end of the year. Thanks to that, during the year, she and her friends have a comfortable spirit, a peaceful life and peace of mind to do business and maintain their family home.
As for Mr. Nguyen Huu Son, a resident of Dong Da district - Hanoi, at the beginning of the year he visited some friends in Vinh city, and went with them to visit and worship some relics in Nghe An. First, he visited the temple of Emperor Quang Trung on Dung Quyet mountain (Vinh city), then went up to Chung Son temple (Nam Dan), Bach Ma temple (Thanh Chuong), Qua Son temple (Do Luong) and then around to Con temple (Hoang Mai town) - the most sacred temples in Nghe An.
“Each temple has its own beauty, all are ancient and associated with historical figures and stories. These temples all have majestic landscapes, adding to the ancient and sacred features of the spiritual and cultural architecture. Thereby, contributing to affirming the cultural features of the homeland of talented people,” said Mr. Son.
The system of historical relics and spiritual cultural works in Nghe An not only meets the spiritual needs of the people in the province but also serves the sightseeing and worship needs of tourists from near and far. Among them, there are special national relics such as Kim Lien Relic Site, King Mai Temple, Hoanh Son Communal House (Nam Dan), Nguyen Xi Temple (Nghi Loc).
These historical relics are all associated with traditional festivals, of which 7 festivals and traditional beliefs have been recorded and included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage. These include: Con Temple Festival (Hoang Mai), Chin Gian Temple Festival (Que Phong), Qua Son Temple Festival (Do Luong), Ong Hoang Muoi Temple Festival and Thanh Liet Temple Festival (Hung Nguyen), Bach Ma Temple Festival (Thanh Chuong) and Xang Khan Ritual of the Thai people in the Western districts.
In particular, the ancients have summarized the "four sacred temples" of Nghe An: "First Con, second Qua, third Bach Ma, fourth Chieu Trung". Chieu Trung Temple no longer exists, but the three remaining temples are still "sacred addresses" for tourists from all over the world. Con Temple worships the Four Holy Ladies; Qua Temple worships Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang; Bach Ma Temple worships the brave general Phan Da - these are the gods of fortune, deeply worshiped by the people for generations.
Located on National Highway 1A, Cuong Temple (Dien Chau) is known as a sacred ancient temple, where Thuc Phan An Duong Vuong and Princess My Chau are worshiped. With a favorable location, rich in history, associated with the legend of An Duong Vuong, Cuong Temple is always a destination for tourists to visit and worship, especially in the spring...
Along with sea tourism - resort and eco-tourism - community, spiritual cultural tourism is identified as one of the three "pillars" of Nghe An tourism. Therefore, all levels and sectors have paid attention to mobilizing and investing funds to renovate and embellish many projects to serve the needs of the people and tourists from all over. These include the Project to Preserve and Renovate the Kim Lien Historical and Cultural Relic Site in association with tourism development phase I; Nghe Tinh Soviet Memorial Site; Dai Tue Pagoda; Co Am Pagoda; Ong Hoang Muoi Temple; Con Temple; Qua Temple; Cuong Temple; Temple of Emperor Quang Trung; Temple and Tomb of King Mai; Chin Gian Temple; Dao Ngu Pagoda; Van - Cua Rao Temple...
Currently, Nghe An is in the middle of the Spring Festival season, everywhere is bustling and jubilant. In 2023, the whole province will have 29 traditional festivals at district and provincial levels, of which 20 will take place in the Spring. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy spiritual and cultural values and conditions for localities to develop various types of services to attract tourists.
Recently, we had the opportunity to go upstream to the remote district of Tuong Duong to attend the Van - Cua Rao Temple Festival. Van - Cua Rao Temple is located in a beautiful location, at the confluence of the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers, with a suspension bridge across the river in front. It is also famous for its sacredness, so it attracts a large number of visitors during the festival. Visitors come to worship the temple, pray for luck and peace, and have the opportunity to join in the festival activities to explore and experience the cultural life of the ethnic communities living in this land.
The Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival is an opportunity for tourists to experience cultural identity, as well as to promote the unique cultural values of the homeland. Tuong Duong district has directed to enhance services to meet the needs of tourists. Traditional houses of ethnic groups (Thai, Mong, Kho Mu, O Du, Tay Poong and Kinh) are built and decorated according to traditional customs for tourists to visit and learn. In addition, folk games such as: Con throwing, stick pushing, stilt walking, swinging and cultural and artistic exchange programs are organized for tourists to enjoy and experience. Local food stalls (grilled chicken, grilled meat, grilled fish, bamboo rice, five-color sticky rice) meet the needs of enjoying mountain and forest products. Therefore, many people have traveled long distances to Tuong Duong to enjoy the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival.
Along with the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival, this early Spring of Quy Mao in Nghe An, there are many traditional festivals with strong identities such as: King Mai Temple Festival (Nam Dan), Van Loc Temple Festival (Cua Lo town), Con Temple Festival (Hoang Mai town), Qua Temple Festival (Do Luong), Nguyen Xi Temple Festival (Nghi Loc) and Cuong Temple Festival (Dien Chau)... Each festival contains its own unique identity, creating uniqueness and attraction for tourists.
To attract tourists, in addition to the rituals, the Organizing Committee of the Mai King Temple Festival pays attention to organizing folk games and sports such as traditional wrestling, chess, cockfighting, etc. Especially, the wrestling competition takes place enthusiastically, attracting thousands of cheering people. Through that, tourists can learn more about the traditions of the land and people of Mai King's homeland, enjoy and shop for famous products of the ancient Van An citadel.
With the Con Temple Festival, in addition to preserving and promoting cultural identity and improving the spiritual life of the people, the festival also aims to attract a large number of tourists to the coastal countryside. Therefore, along with the procession and sacrificial rituals of the festival, the Organizing Committee also enhances traditional games such as: Boat racing, playing chess, organizing the Hoang Mai beauty contest. Especially the Oi running custom of the youth of Quynh Phuong coastal village has both spiritual and folk elements, really attracting the people and tourists.
It can be said that at the Con Temple Festival, visitors will be immersed in the joyful atmosphere and enjoy the beautiful scenery, culinary flavors and feel the depth of marine cultural life.
Coming to a festival in a rural area, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the traditions, the beauty of the land and the people there. Coming to Bach Duong (Do Luong) to visit Qua Son Temple, visitors will feel the sacredness of the ancient capital of Nghe An, where Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang once chose as a foothold to explore and protect the southern border. Coming to Lang Vac Festival (Thai Hoa town), visitors have the opportunity to commemorate the merits of the Hung Kings who built and defended the country, and return to their roots, to the thousands of years of history. With the Chin Gian Temple Festival (Que Phong), visitors from all over will return to the ancient Muong Ton land - the center of 9 villages and 10 muongs according to the concept of the Thai people.
Thus, with the flow of historical and cultural traditions formed long ago and deposited fertile "alluvial grounds" containing many "sediments", Nghe An is the ideal destination for tourists to experience the beauty of cultural and spiritual life.
