Lao Cai spring not only has beautiful scenery but also festive atmosphere attracts visitors. Among them is the Temple Temple Festival takes place on the full moon of the first lunar month.
Thuong Temple relics - Lao Cai city
The Upper Lao Cai Temple Festival is associated with the national historical and cultural relics worshiping the Quoc dynasty and the Hung Dao Dai Vuong. Thuong Temple, also known as Lao Nhai Temple, is located on Hoa Hieu hill in Mai Linh range of 1,200m altitude in Lao Cai city, near the international border gate, where confluence of Nam Thi and Red rivers flows into. Vietnamese land. This is one of the "red" addresses in the cooperation program of the tourism route to the origin between the three provinces of Lao Cai - Yen Bai - Phu Tho. Near Thuong Temple, there are Mau temple, Cam temple, Am temple, Tan Bao pagoda and Quan temple creating a cultural relics complex.
Thuong Lao Cai Temple
Thuong Temple stands out with its ancient feudal architecture with the system of "Tam Quan Ngoai" "Tam Quan Noi", "Harem" and the houses "Ta Vu" and "Huu Vu". There were 8 dragons in the harem, in the middle was a stone tablet carved with the legend of the Holy Tran. The architectural complex is shaded by a banyan tree.
Cultural and historical relics Thuong Temple is located in the arterial road in the economic corridor of Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; and more importantly, a symbol of culture, history and national sovereignty on the border of Vietnam. Any visitor from afar, if he has the opportunity to come to Lao Cai, even if he is in a hurry, he will not forget to come to Thuong Temple to burn incense to commemorate the national hero as well as take a picture to commemorate the spring.
Banyan trees in Upper Temple. Photo: Thanh Son HP
Thuong Temple Full Moon festival in January
As usual, Thuong Temple festival is usually held on the 13th, 14th and the first day of the first lunar month. Before that, Lao Cai people prepared elaborately, sometimes lasting up to 8-9 months before the holiday season.
This is an opportunity for tourists to visit, sightseeing is also to review the tradition of their ancestors, flower themselves into the festival atmosphere with a variety of cultural activities imbued with national identity.
Main ceremony to read liturgical and incense
The festival takes place in 2 parts: "part ceremony" and "part festival". In the crisp opening drum of the ritual towards the source resounded. After that is the procession to receive the Holy Tran palanquin from the main courtyard in front of the temple to the main yard of the temple. Here, the celebrant reads the merit-writing of Mr. Hung Dao Dai Vuong and carries out the worshiping incense offering ceremony. Finally, the delegates planted a souvenir tree in Thuy Vy garden to wish this relic forever and lush.
The festival changes every year but still retains its traditional features; including performing arts, folk dance; at the same time, organizing many traditional games such as wrestling, tug of war, longer throw, chess, badminton ... Sometimes adding the sections "contest of talented farmers", "sticky rice contest", "contest team pí lè "very attractive.
Holy Communion procession of Duc Tran
Coming here, visitors also enjoy shopping for handicraft products or enjoying traditional dishes of highland people. The typical dishes for Lao Cai cuisine such as winning rice, lam rice, seven colored sticky rice, dried buffalo meat ... besides warm cup of corn wine can sip with relatives and friends on a spring day at the border.
Festival stage, where the unique cultural program takes place
In addition to the main festival, Thuong Temple also organizes a Japanese festival for the Holy Tran on August 20 of the lunar calendar every year.
The Spring Temple Spring Festival is a place where people exchange and find out about cultural roots and bring memorable experiences for domestic and foreign tourists. This is also an opportunity to promote cultural beauty imbued with national identity to promote tourism in Lao Cai in particular and Vietnam in general./.