The event themed “The land of sacred Tay Yen Tu” is scheduled to be held at the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex in Son Dong District in the province.
The opening ceremony will officially open on February 9, the People’s Committee of Bac Giang Province said at a press conference on January 20.
The highlight event of the festival is the opening ceremony of the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival, the procession of the ancestors of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Sect, a cycling race, and others.
This year's event is not only an opportunity to honor cultural and historical values but also contributes to promoting tourism in Bac Giang, creating opportunities for domestic and international visitors to explore a land with pristine landscapes boasting rich cultural heritage and spiritual significance.
In addition, the Yen Tu Festival—one of the country's biggest spring festivals in the Northern region—will be held at the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist Zen Monastery in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh province, on the 10th day of the first lunar month, which fell on February 19.
The Yen Tu Festival will also kick off with a series of colorful ceremonies and cultural activities. The highlight event is an art show describing the life of King Monk Tran Nhan Tong.
Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308) was the third king of the Tran Dynasty to practice and propagate Buddhism. He founded the Truc Lam School of Zen 700 years ago. After defeating Mongol invaders, the king abdicated his throne at age 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain. During that time, the King Monk worked to unify different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.
The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee has long observed the day King Tran Nhan Tong attained Nirvana (the first day of the 11th lunar month) as a national anniversary day for Vietnamese Buddhism.
Buddhist monks, pilgrims, and tourists come to the festival every year to express their gratitude for the great merits and religious career of King Buddhist Tran Nhan Tong and pray for peace and prosperity on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year.
