From March 10th – 11th, the People's Committee of Cao Phong town (Cao Phong) coordinated with the Relics Management Board to organize the traditional festival of Thuong Bong Lai Temple in 2024.
The
people were performing the water procession ceremony at Thuong Bong Lai Temple.
Located
at the foot of Rong Head Mountain, in Area 3, Cao Phong town, the temple
worships the Second Thuong Nga Fairy Lady (Co Doi Thuong Ngan) and the saints
of the four realms in the Mother Goddess religion. The temple dates back to the
2nd year of King Thanh Thai's prosperity (Canh Dan year 1890). Through the wars
and ups and downs of the history, the temple was degraded and lost. In 2013,
the temple was rebuilt with flowers and beauty, and the entire architecture was
completed. Every February 2nd of the lunar calendar, the temple
festival opens to admire, worship and pay tribute to Co Doi Thuong Ngan, the
temple's keeper.
Thuong
Bong Lai Temple Festival includes a ceremony and a festival. The ceremony takes
place with a full sequence of rituals, including the water procession ceremony
with the participation of many people moving from Thuong Bong Lai Temple to
Dong Son Temple. The festival is vibrant with the cultural activities, sports,
and folk games (sack jumping, goat catching, pot smashing...).
The
festival attracts a large number of people and tourists from all over to offer
incense, admire, express their respect and filial piety towards their
ancestors, and pray for blessings for the country - people's peace, prosperity,
protecting a peaceful life, moving towards truth - goodness - beauty.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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