Nine-Chamber Temple Festival: 'Paving the way for tourism development in Que Phong'

(Baonghean) - The organization of the Nine-Compartment Temple Festival has revived the unique traditions and cultural products of the Thai ethnic group in western Nghe An province.

The legendary fountain

In the folklore of the Thai people of Phu Quy region, there is a legend about the founding of the village: Long ago, the village chief of Luang Prabang (the ancient capital of Laos) had two talented sons, the elder Lo Y and the younger Lo Ai. Knowing their father's intention to abdicate in favor of his elder brother, Lo Ai killed his brother and threw his body into the Ma River. Lo Y drifted downstream and became trapped in a narrow section of the river. A white crow took pity on Lo Y and gave him a magic potion. Lo Y came back to life and went to a nearby area to beg for food.

The region where Ló Ỳ settled was ungoverned and frequently plagued by unrest. The local people, recognizing Ló Ỳ's strength and noble lineage, elevated him to the position of Tạo (village chief). Under Ló Ỳ's leadership, the land flourished. Grateful for his help, the region under Ló Ỳ's rule was named Mường Cả Giả (now Hội Xuân commune, Quan Hoá district, Thanh Hoá province).

The symbolic buffalo slaughtering ritual at the Nine-Room Temple festival in 2016. Photo: HP

After ruling for several years, Ló Ỳ relinquished power to others and returned to his homeland. Ló Ỳ strayed into another land. There, the Thái people had gathered, but there was no ruler yet, so no villages or hamlets had been established. At the request of the people, Ló Ỳ stayed to govern, helping them establish villages and hamlets. The land was fertile, and more people flocked there to live. Tạo Ló Ỳ organized the people to clear the land and establish new hamlets. The first land under Tạo Ló Ỳ's rule was called Mường Tôn.

The nine newly established districts were Muong Quang, Muong Chun, Muong Pan, Muong Puoc, Muong Ha Quen, Muong Mieng, Muong Chon, and Muong Chong. These nine districts prospered, but annual natural disasters and floods still caused difficulties. The people of these districts requested permission from the Creator to build a temple in Muong Ton, a place to offer buffaloes to the Heavens, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests. The Ten Xo Quai - Ten Cau Hong (Buffalo Offering Temple - Nine-Room Temple) was erected on the summit of Pu Cho Nhang, northwest of Muong Ton, in the 14th century.

One year, during the festival, while the buffalo was being sacrificed to the gods, as the buffalo was being bathed in the Nậm Giải River, dark clouds gathered and a strong wind blew. A dragon appeared and swept away Mường Tôn's white buffalo. The Mường chief considered this a bad omen and instructed the people to pray to heaven and their ancestors for permission to build a temple in a different location. A white-crested crow came, picked up a piece of buffalo bone from the temple, and dropped it onto the small Pú Pỏm hill south of Mường Tôn. In accordance with heaven's will, in 1927, the Quỳ Châu district chief, Sầm Văn Hiên, ordered the people of the villages to harvest timber and mobilized skilled craftsmen to build a new temple on the summit of Pú Pỏm.

Every year, festivals are held for people to express their reverence for their ancestors and also to have fun and compete in unique folk games. According to ancient beliefs, the three festival days are the three days when all the people of the nine villages ascend to heaven, therefore all paths and routes must comply with the laws of heaven.

Those attending the ceremony at the temple must be carefully selected, free from moral transgressions, theft, and opium use. Unmarried women and minors are not allowed to attend. The offerings include a young buffalo, untouched and without physical defects. In addition, each village contributes nine piglets, 90 small chickens, and 90 portions of grilled river fish... Due to various historical factors, for a long period in the 20th century, the Nine-Room Temple gradually deteriorated and became a ruin, and the festival was interrupted.

Honoring the past...

As life progressed and people's spiritual and cultural needs increased, in order to preserve, inherit, and promote the traditional values ​​of "drinking water, remembering the source," and to contribute to the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of the Thai ethnic group in Northwest Nghe An province, in 2004, the People's Committee of Que Phong district decided to begin the restoration of the Nine-Compartment Temple and make the Nine-Compartment Temple Festival a major festival for the people. In 2008, the Nine-Compartment Temple was recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic. And since 2006, the Nine-Compartment Temple Festival has been held again on a grand scale. The festival takes place in the middle of the second lunar month every year.

The furrow-carving performance in the festival.

The Nine-Chamber Temple Festival has revived the unique traditions and cultural products of the Thai people in western Nghe An province, providing an opportunity for people from the nine ancient villages to make pilgrimages, meet, interact, and strengthen solidarity among ethnic groups. The Nine-Chamber Temple Festival includes many distinctive activities. The ceremonial part includes the opening ceremony, the announcement ceremony (the "khay quan" ceremony), the buffalo bathing ceremony and procession (Ap Quai and Ton Dam-Ton Then), the buffalo sacrifice ceremony (Nap Quai ceremony), the buffalo slaughtering ceremony (Phan Quai ceremony), the grand sacrifice ceremony (Xo The, Xo Dam ceremony), the opening ceremony and the thanksgiving ceremony (Cha On - Thao Quan ceremony). (In recent years, the buffalo slaughtering ritual has been maintained, but it is only symbolic, reflecting the civilization and progress in modern society while still preserving the cultural identity of the people)...

The festival includes activities such as campsite competitions showcasing the traditional Thai stilt houses; folk games like bamboo pole jumping, tò le (a traditional game), and throwing the ball; competitions for wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), cooking com lam (traditional Vietnamese rice), and a food platter competition among communes and towns; cultural activities including competitions in drumming, gong playing, cymbal playing, and call-and-response singing; a talent show and a beauty pageant; and competitions in traditional sports such as cockfighting, tò le, throwing the ball, tug-of-war, crossbow shooting, stick pushing, card games, and stilt walking…

With its many unique values, the Nine-Compartment Temple Festival has been honored as a national intangible cultural heritage. It is believed that this recognition will help the land and people of Que Phong become more widely known to tourists and friends near and far. The Nine-Compartment Temple Festival will pave the way for the effective development of the locality's attractive tourism potential; traditional handicrafts and fine art products of the people will become popular goods, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the district.

Thanh Son