King Mai Temple Festival - a highlight of cultural and spiritual tourism.

(Baonghean) - The King Mai Temple Festival is a traditional cultural festival held annually on the full moon of the first lunar month. This is one of the festivals that kicks off the year's festival activities in Nghe An province.

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper had an interview with Comrade Dinh Xuan Que - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dan District.

Procession at the King Mai Temple Festival. Photo: PV

PV:With 167 historical sites and scenic spots, many of which are exceptionally unique, along with a rich and distinctive local culture, Nam Dan has long been considered one of the highlights on the Nghe An tourism map. What are your thoughts on this assessment?

Comrade Dinh Xuan Que:This is confirmed by the district's statistics: during the period 2010-2015, the number of tourists visiting Nam Dan reached 1.8-2 million per year. The tourism sector has contributed to the district achieving a relatively high economic growth rate of over 10% per year. In fact, Nam Dan has the largest number of historical and cultural relics in the province, including many historical sites with value and advantages for tourism development such as: the King Mai Relic Complex, the Kim Lien Relic Area, the Phan Boi Chau Memorial House, Dai Tue Pagoda... Every year, the district hosts two main festivals: the King Mai Temple Festival held on the 15th day of the first lunar month and the Lang Sen Festival held on President Ho Chi Minh's birthday. Nam Dan has many tangible and intangible cultural values ​​that are preserved and developed, and is a district in the region where the Vi and Giam folk songs are recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

In terms of culinary culture, Nam Dan is famous for its specialties such as: Nam Dan soy sauce, Sa Nam rice cakes, Nam Nghia pork, Cau Don goat meat, Lam River sardines, cassava starch and Nam Anh persimmons, Bau Non tilapia... These famous specialties have made Nam Dan a culinary cultural center of the entire province.

With its favorable geographical location, good transportation infrastructure, and rich and diverse cultural heritage, Nam Dan district has identified tourism and services as a key sector in its socio-economic development. To maximize these advantages, the District Party Committee and the District People's Committee have issued a Resolution on tourism development for the period 2011-2015, with a view to 2020... aiming to provide specific mechanisms, policies, and solutions to exploit the available tourism resources of the locality.

King Mai Temple Festival. Photo: PV

PV:The King Mai Festival is held annually on the full moon of the first lunar month with many attractive activities. Could you please elaborate on the main activities of the 2017 festival?

Comrade Dinh Xuan Que:The King Mai Temple Festival is a traditional cultural festival held annually on the full moon of the first lunar month. It is one of the opening festivals of the year in Nghe An province. At the festival, locals and visitors from all over can immerse themselves in activities deeply rooted in the unique culture of this "land of outstanding people and rich history," such as the water procession, the purification ceremony, the announcement ceremony, the incense offering ceremony in remembrance of King Mai, the grand sacrificial ceremony, the thanksgiving ceremony, and more. They can also participate in folk games like card games, cockfighting, swing riding, tug-of-war, and wrestling. Furthermore, the festival is an opportunity for Nam Dan to showcase its distinctive local products such as soy sauce, cassava starch, peanut oil, and peanut butter.

PV:As you have affirmed, the King Mai Festival is one of the traditional festivals held annually and has become a highlight of Nam Dan's spiritual and cultural tourism. So, what concerns has the district had in order to increase its attractiveness to tourists?

Comrade Dinh Xuan Que:To commemorate the merits of Mai Hac De and his generals, people in many provinces and cities across the country have erected temples, mausoleums, shrines, and tombs. In Nam Dan, the birthplace and childhood home of King Mai, where the rebellion broke out and where the tombs of King Mai and his mother are located, the annual King Mai Temple Festival is solemnly held from the 13th to the 15th of January. Besides commemorating the merits of King Mai and his generals, it also holds great significance in recalling the heroic spirit of the rebellion that defeated the northern invaders and established the independent state of Van An; contributing to the education of the people, especially the younger generation, about the nation's history of building and defending the country, thereby increasing national pride and love for the homeland. This is also an opportunity for Nam Dan district to promote and introduce the King Mai historical site complex to tourists and investors, allowing them to learn about and appreciate the cultural values ​​through the system of temples, mausoleums, and shrines. This will help promote the traditional culture and fine customs of the locality, and boost tourism development in the district.

The district has identified public awareness campaigns as one of its most important tasks. Besides focusing on publicity through Nghe An Newspaper, Nghe An Television, the district's electronic information portal, and the radio stations of the 24 communes and towns, we have also directed the construction of billboards introducing the festival program at the King Mai Mausoleum historical site, Van Dien intersection, the road to the temple, the town's intersection, and the Nam Giang and Nam Trung intersections. We have also hung banners and festival flags along National Highway 46 from Nam Giang to the temple (town), at the King Mai Mausoleum historical site on Dun Mountain (Van Dien), and at the district's main entrances and exits.

Making the King Mai Temple Festival increasingly attractive to tourists is a constant concern for the organizing committee. This year, along with the usual ceremonial and festive activities, the 2017 King Mai Festival will continue to hold the Lantern Release Ceremony on the night of the 14th of the lunar month at the King Mai Mausoleum grounds. This is one of the highlights of the festival. A traditional festival like the King Mai Temple Festival must ensure spiritual elements and thorough preparation to become even more appealing to visitors who come here at the beginning of spring.

Wrestling at the King Mai Temple Festival. Photo: Trong Sach

PV:To develop sustainable tourism, especially cultural and spiritual tourism, what long-term directions does Nam Dan district have, Comrade?

Comrade Dinh Xuan Que:Over the past period, Nam Dan district has mobilized resources and capital from various "channels" to restore, renovate, and beautify historical sites. Many projects funded by the central and provincial governments have been completed and put into operation, such as: the Phan Boi Chau Memorial Area, the Mausoleum and Temple of King Mai, the tomb of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep, and the Kim Lien Historical and Cultural Relic Area Conservation and Restoration Project linked to tourism development. The district has also mobilized capital from social contributions to preserve and restore historical sites such as Dai Tue Pagoda and Vien Quang Pagoda.

In addition to focusing on the restoration, renovation, and preservation of historical and cultural relics to attract tourists, Nam Dan also emphasizes promotion and advertising by organizing major annual festivals such as the King Mai Festival and the Lotus Village Festival, thereby creating opportunities to attract investment in tourism development for the district; developing special features and documentaries such as "Nam Dan - A Destination," "The Love of Nam Dan Homeland," "Nam Dan - Historical Sites and Scenic Spots," and "The Dai Tue Pagoda Buddhist Cultural Festival"... published in mass media; participating in exhibitions, fairs, and cultural and culinary festivals; organizing travel business conferences; surveying and developing tourism tours in the district; printing and distributing 2,000 VCDs and 10,000 brochures about Nam Dan tourism; and upgrading the district's electronic information portal, thereby clearly introducing cultural heritage to domestic and international tourists.

In the coming period, to effectively exploit the potential and strengths of tourism, Nam Dan district prioritizes attracting businesses to invest in the following areas: Travel agencies investing in transportation and designing tours within the district, thereby promoting and linking with travel agencies inside and outside the province to bring tourists to visit Nam Dan district; Businesses investing in building a system of restaurants, hotels, and entertainment areas that meet standards; Companies specializing in the production of handicrafts producing souvenirs and processing traditional products to serve tourists; Businesses planning and investing in infrastructure and services to develop the "homestay" tourism model.

PV:Thank you, comrade!

Thanh Thuy

(Perform)