[Video] Sacred, shimmery peace praying ceremony, colored lantern festival

A nine-tier towery platform representing a connection and interference axis of heaven and earth, yin and yang on the Luc Dau river dyke

On the night of September 13 (i.e. the 18th day of the 8th lunar month), a peace praying ceremony and a colored lantern festival were solemnly held at Van Kiep wharf and on the Luc Dau river within the framework of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2022.

According to the Organizing Board of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival, about 10,000 locals and visitors attended the ceremony on the night.

Monks pray for national peace and prosperity, good crops, and peace for the souls of soldiers and people who sacrificed their life for the country in different dynasties

To prepare for the peace praying ceremony, monks, delegates, and people offered incensed and solemnly took sacrifices from Kiep Bac temple to a peace praying platform.

Earlier, the platform and 8,000 lanterns were prepared by the Management Board of Con Son - Kiep Bac Relics.

On the night of September 13, about 10,000 visitors attend the peace praying ceremony and the colored lantern festival

Along with traditional rituals honoring Lord Hung Dao’s great merits like incense offering, seal mark granting, procession, army festival, and trance performance, the peace praying ceremony and the colored lantern festival on the Luc Dau river are typical and sacred rites that always attract a large number of participants.

The peace praying ceremony on the Luc Dau river is a sacred one of profound historical, cultural, and humanistic significance that has existed with the Kiep Bac temple festival for hundreds of years.

Lanterns are passed from hand to hand and dropped down the Luc Dau river

The nine-tier towery platform represented a connection and interference axis of heaven and earth, yin and yang.

Patterns of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism interlaced on the nine tiers formed a splendid multi-color picture expressing the harmony of the three religions.

On the river, groups of boats full of lanterns brightened the whole sky above Van Kiep. Thousands of lanterns were passed from hand to hand and dropped down the Luc Dau river. Colorful petals carried the gratitude of today's generation to the afterworld.

Brilliant fireworks

The peace praying ceremony and the colored lantern festival also had a particularly deep humanistic meaning. They aimed not only to commemorate and pay tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their life for the Fatherland in different dynasties and pray for the peace of the souls of Tran dynasty’s generals and soldiers in the resistance war against the Mongol invaders but also to pray for the salvation of the defeated’s souls on the Luc Dau river.

At the end of the peace praying ceremony and the colored lantern festival were sparkling fireworks on the Luc Dau river dyke in front of Kiep Bac temple.

That night, there were trance performances, quan ho (love duet) singing, etc. to serve visitors.

TIEN HUY – THANH CHUNG