The majority of Vietnamese people, especially those practicing the Viet Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms, are familiar with the saying: "August anniversary of Father, March anniversary of Mother." March, during the spring season, marks the death anniversary of the Holy Mother Liễu Hạnh (who passed away on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month), while August in autumn commemorates the Father, the National Duke and Commander-in-Chief, Hưng Đạo Đại Vương Trần Quốc Tuấn (born in 1228). Trần Quốc Tuấn was a man of extraordinary military talent who, together with the Tran Dynasty’s army and people, defeated the Yuan-Mongol army three times, securing peace for the country. He became a national hero and was respected and honored across the country as Saint Trần Hưng Đạo (who passed away on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month).
The Mother commemoration festival (Phủ Dầy festival) in Nam Định province in March and the Father commemoration festival (Trần Temple festival) at key memorial sites, such as the Kiếp Bạc Temple (Hải Dương province), the Trần Thương Temple (Hà Nam province), and the Bảo Lộc Temple (Nam Định province), held in lunar August, have become major annual festivals. These festivals attract large numbers of tourists for pilgrimages and worship.
Trần Thương Temple
Trần Thương Temple, located in Trần Thương village, Nhân Đạo commune (now Trần Hưng Đạo commune), Lý Nhân district, Hà Nam province, is one of the three main places dedicated to the worship of Saint Trần, his family, and the generals who contributed to the resistance against the Yuan-Mongol army in the 13th century. Legend has it that, on his way to fight the Yuan-Mongol invaders, Trần Hưng Đạo, recognizing the suitability of the terrain, ordered the establishment of six granaries to support the war effort. The current location of Trần Thương Temple is believed to be the site of the main granary from that time.
The Temple boasts a unique and impressive architectural scale, featuring an outer gate, an inner gate, five buildings, and 15 compartments, divided into three palaces and two wings. The architectural decorations—such as water waves, clouds, two dragons facing the moon, flying dragons, and dancing phoenixes—are intricately and beautifully carved. The temple also houses a wealth of rare worship objects, royal decrees, and books. Notably, the statue of Saint Trần in the rear palace altar is a striking portrait sculpture, reflecting both his majestic presence as a saint and his approachable, friendly demeanor towards the people.
Due to its convergence of historical, cultural, artistic, and spiritual significance, Trần Thương Temple was recognized as a Special National Monument in 2015. Every year, the local community organizes two major temple festivals: the Grain Distribution Ceremony on the midnight of the 14th and the early morning of the 15th of the first lunar month, and the traditional festival commemorating Saint Trần’s death anniversary in the middle of the 8th lunar month. In 2017, the Trần Thương Temple Festival was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Trần Thương Temple Festival 2024
This year, from September 18 to 22, 2024 (i.e., August 16–20, Year of the Dragon), the Trần Thương Temple Festival commemorated the 724th anniversary of Saint Trần’s death with numerous traditional rituals. These included the ceremony to request Saint Trần’s permission to open the temple and organize the festival, the palanquin procession, sacrificial offerings by local people and delegations from afar, the flower lantern release at the lake, and the commemoration ceremony on Saint Trần’s death anniversary (Lunar August 20).
In addition to the spiritual rituals, the festival featured various cultural, artistic, and sports activities. These included the 6th "I Love the History of My Homeland" contest organized by Lý Nhân district, a contest for cooking offerings to Saint Trần, a chess tournament, a Tug of War competition, and other folk games.
A notable new addition to this year’s festival was a practice course on the Viet Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms, a UNESCO-recognized Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2016). This course, held on September 18 and 19, 2024, in collaboration with the Center for Research and Preservation of Vietnamese Religious Cultures and the Vietnam Mother Goddess Society, involved 20 artists, temple custodians, and mediums from various provinces, enriching the festival’s activities.
Among the spiritual incarnations performed at Trần Thương Temple this year, the most notable were the incarnations of the Trần dynasty generals, particularly those of General Trần Hưng Đạo, who was praised for both his military strategy and his ability to exorcise evil spirits, cure diseases, and protect the people. Other incarnations included those of his five attendants, his four sons (the Great Mandarins), and Phạm Ngũ Lão, his son-in-law. Incarnations of his daughter, the Second Princess, were also performed by various mediums. It is rare for Saint Trần himself to descend into mediums, but his Great Mandarins often do so, performing exorcisms and curing diseases.
The incarnations were performed according to traditional rules and practices, with the mediums dressed in the martial attire of the different realms—Celestial (red), Earth (yellow), Water (white), or Forest and Mountain (green and blue). Each performance featured strong, decisive movements, accompanied by drums and cymbals, while avoiding the smoother music and song typically reserved for the Ladies (văn chầu). The well-organized performances left all visitors, especially practitioners, feeling deeply excited and proud.
The annual festival plays an important role in fostering community love, solidarity, and mutual support, while promoting a good and virtuous way of life. It also serves as a means of educating younger generations in the spirit of patriotism, morality, and the tradition of “drinking water, remembering the source.” By honoring national heroes and raising awareness of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the homeland, the festival continues to spread the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Practices related to the Viet Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms, the Trần Thương Special National Monument, and the festival itself to a wide audience, both locally and internationally.
Nguyễn Kim Dzung is an international reporter at Arirang Culture Connect and Deputy Director of the Center for Research and Preservation of Vietnamese Religious Cultures (CVRC). She has a long career in cultural heritage, contributing to Vietnamese cultural policy and UNESCO nominations, and joined CVRC in 2023 after retiring from the Department of Cultural Heritage.
2024 ⓒ Arirang Culture Connect All Rights Reserved.