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 and Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Yen Dung District in the province, the People’s Committee of Bac Giang Province said.
The highlight event of the festival is the opening ceremony of the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival, the procession of the ancestors of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Sect from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda to Thuong Tay Yen Tu Pagoda, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Bac Giang Culture - Tourism Week, tree planting festival, Spring Press Festival featuring exhibits on the socioeconomic development of Bac Giang Province, art performances.
In related news, Yen Tu Festival- one of the country's biggest spring festivals in the northern region opened at 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 also kicked 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.
Images of the preparation for Tay Yen Tu Festival in Bac Giang Province:
