Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring Festival kicks off

Delegates attend event

The Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring Festival opened at Con Son-Kiep Bac special national relic site in Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province, on February 6, along with a ceremony to commemorate the 689th death anniversary of Huyen Quang - the third progenitor of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhism sect.

Opening the festival, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hai Duong Trieu The Hung said that since the 14th century, Con Son has been one of the major Buddhism centres of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhism sect of Vietnamese people.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Trieu The Hung delivers the opening speech

Every spring, Con Son pagoda receives a large number of visitors who come to pay tribute to Zen Master Huyen Quang.

Huyen Quang, whose real name is Ly Dao Tai, was born in 1254, originally from Van Tu village, now in Thai Bao commune, Gia Binh district, Bac Ninh province. He was a talented intellectual and famous for his poetry and literature. He obtained his doctorate at the age of 21, and then followed Buddhism. Together with Monk King Tran Nhan Tong, he wrote Buddhism scriptures, popularised Buddhism across the country and became the third progenitor of the Truc Lam Zen sect. He spent his last days and died at Con Son pagoda.

Delegates offer incense to commemorate the 689th death anniversary of Huyen Quang - the third progenitor of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhism sect

The Con Son – Kiep Bac was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012. In 2013, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named the Spring Festival at Con Son pagoda and the Autumn Festival at Kiep Bac temple as national intangible cultural heritages.

Currently, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Bac Giang provinces are working together to promote the value of the Con Son-Kiep Bac special national relic site, and finalising dossiers for the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son-Kiep Bac landscape and relic complex to seek for UNESCO recognition as a world heritage site.

A drum performance at the opening of the festival. Photos: Bao Hai Duong

This year, the festival features rituals such as incense offering at Con Son pagoda, a water procession ceremony, and a worship offering ceremony on Ngu Nhac mountain. Folk games and a number of cultural and tourism activities are also held at the festival.

VNA

>>> [Video] Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival boasts many special activities