Ho Family Festival and the 610th Anniversary of the Construction of the Temple of the Ancestors of the Ho Family in Vietnam

(Baonghean.vn) -On February 19 and 20 (January 10 and 11, Quy Ty year 2013), in Ngoc Son commune - Quynh Luu district, the Ho Family Liaison Committee of Vietnam, the Management and Restoration Board of King Ho Temple, the Ho Family Liaison Committee of Nghe An province and Quynh Luu district held a ceremony to celebrate the 610th anniversary of Emperor Ho Quy Ly building the Ho Family Ancestor Temple of Vietnam and held the annual traditional festival of King Ho Temple.

Attending the ceremony were representatives of Military Region 4, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Department of Information and Communications, provincial departments, Quynh Luu district and many descendants of Ho clan from all provinces in the country.

Ho family ancestor worship ceremony in early spring of Quy Ty year 2013

The Ho Dynasty Ancestor Temple of Vietnam (commonly known as King Ho Temple) was built by Emperor Ho Quy Ly in Bao Dot village, Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district in 1403, to pay tribute to the ancestors - the ones who gave birth to the Ho Dynasty of Vietnam, the ones who founded and established the land of Ngoc Son today.

In 2001, the Ho Family Liaison Committee of Vietnam and the Ho Family's descendants nationwide unanimously resolved to contribute to the restoration of the Ho King Temple on an area approved by the province for planning of more than 150 hectares, with a built area of ​​2.6 hectares. Currently, the project has restored the rear palace, the upper hall, the shrine, the grounds, and the grand ceremony yard, with a total cost of nearly 20 billion VND out of the total project cost of more than 50 billion VND. The entire restoration cost was donated by the Ho Family's descendants.

Before the celebration, yesterday, February 19, the festival activities took place enthusiastically, including the proclamation ceremony, the prayer ceremony performed by monks from Ho Chi Minh City, the cultural and artistic exchange of the 3 regions of the North - Central - South including performances, singing, dancing, music, drum dance, bamboo dance performed by descendants of the Ho family from groups from Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh..., creating a vibrant, warm and affectionate atmosphere in the first days of the new spring.

An art performance in the exchange session of Bac Ninh delegation

Continuing the celebration program, this morning, February 20, a grand ceremony took place according to traditional customs. The ceremony commemorates the 610th anniversary of the construction of the Ho King Temple, reviewing the glorious history of the nation, of the family that gave birth to many talented people who contributed to the country, such as Emperor Ho Quy Ly, Ho Thom (Emperor Quang Trung Nguyen Hue) and the Ho Chi Minh era, which had many outstanding scientists and artists, contributing to the construction of the country.

Drum performance to open the festival



Delegates attending the ceremony



Monks hold a mass for the dead



Many descendants of Ho family came to offer incense.



Casting bronze drum at King Ho temple



Awarding certificates to those who contributed to buy bronze drums

After the cultural and artistic part, there was a ceremony to cast 100 bronze drums, a bronze drum procession, a ceremony to offer and build a temple to worship King Ho.

News and photos: Sy Minh