A festival honouring practices related to the worship of Mother Goddess of Forests will be held for the first time in Dong Cuong Temple in Ben Dien Village, Dong Cuong Commune, Van Yen District, the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, on May 20-21.
The event, in response to the ‘Lao Cai – Northwest National Tourism Year’ 2017”, will bring together numerous folk artisans of Mother Goddess religion around the country.
In addition to the opening ceremony on May 20, a wide variety of unique activities will be held, including a carnival featuring practices related to the worship of Mother Goddess; practices of 36 gia dong (incarnation); and exhibitions of photos and paintings on the Mother Goddess worshipping rituals around the country, particularly ethnic minorities.
Notably, the carnival, with the coordination among extras, amateur arts troupe, well-known and local artisans, will promote the local unique cultural identities, including the worship of Mother Goddess of Forests.
In addition, visitors to the festival will have a chance to know more about the costumes of characters of Tu phu (Four Realms of Places) as well as clothes used for worshipping practices of the Mother Goddesses, especially for the ritual of len dong (spirit mediumship).
During the festival, the entire set of worshipping photos of Dao ethnic people will be displayed; meanwhile, religious activities of some ethnic minority groups in Yen Bai will also be reproduced.
On the occasion, a fair, introducing products made of cinnamon, a local typical agricultural tree in Van Yen District, will feature the participation of numerous local enterprises and artisans.
Dong Cuong Temple is one of the important historical and cultural relic sites among the system of temples and places related to the Mother Goddesses religion. The practitioners of the Mother Goddesses worship believed that the temple is the origin of the worship of Forests’ Mother Goddess.
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