Water procession ceremony at the King Mai Temple festival.
•March 3, 2015 14:07
(Baonghean.vn) - On March 3rd (the 13th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Goat), the King Mai Temple Festival officially opened. The opening activities for the festival, which will last for three days from March 3rd to March 5th, are the Water Procession and the Opening Ceremony organized by the people of Nam Dan town.
The Water Procession is a spiritual ritual dating back thousands of years, originating from the agricultural practices of the people of Nam Dan district. It embodies the concept of purifying and cleansing before entering the festival commemorating and paying tribute to King Mai Hac De, the national hero who led the Hoan Chau uprising to repel the Tang Dynasty invaders. For various reasons, the Water Procession had not been held for a long time and was only restored at this year's King Mai Temple Festival.
People in traditional costumes prepare to fetch water from the upper reaches of the Lam River.
Strong young men were assigned the task of carrying the palanquin.
At 7:30 AM, the ceremonial procession participating in the Water Procession, including leaders from the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee, the Senior Citizens' Association, and a large number of people from Nam Dan town, gathered at the King Mai Temple in Nam Dan town to perform the incense offering ceremony. From this sacred temple, the procession, carrying many ceremonial objects, drums, and gongs, walked to Sa Nam wharf and then boarded dragon boats to travel upstream to the confluence point between Nam Dan and Thanh Chuong districts.
The procession carrying the water set off for the riverbank.
After sifting through the river to remove the impurities, the two masters of ceremonies performed the ritual of scooping water from the riverbed with bamboo coconut shell ladles, filling the earthenware jars they carried. Once the jars were full of water, they were placed on a palanquin. At this point, the dragon boat turned around and sailed downstream back to the dock.
People sat on boats to watch the water procession.
Dragon boats travel upstream.
Performing the ritual of scooping water from the Lam River.
Representatives of the town's elderly and town leaders co-chaired the ceremony.
At 10 a.m., the water procession arrived at the King Mai Temple. Here, the ritual of offering water to King Mai was performed. The two chief officiants offered the water jar to the main hall, respectfully lighting incense sticks to commemorate King Mai's merits and praying for favorable weather and continued prosperity for the homeland. The water offered to King Mai will be used for washing the ceremonial vessels and offerings throughout the three days of the King Mai Festival.
Place the jar of clean water on the palanquin.
The procession carrying the water arrived at the King Mai Temple.
Human chess game at the festival.
Preparing for the camp
The solemn and respectful water procession marked the beginning of three days of sacred and joyful festivities.
This afternoon, the Organizing Committee of the King Mai Temple Festival held a ceremony at the King Mai Mausoleum, the King Mai Temple, the tomb of King Mai's mother, and the temple dedicated to King Mai's mother; along with cultural and sporting activities such as organizing a camp, wrestling, opening the men's volleyball tournament, organizing card games, cockfighting, and other folk games at the King Mai Mausoleum in Van Dien commune.
This evening (March 3rd), the Festival Organizing Committee will hold a lantern-releasing ceremony to commemorate the merits of King Mai and his generals; and inaugurate the folk art performance of the communes and towns.
Video clip of the water procession ceremony at the King Mai Festival:
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