Phủ Dầy Festival in Nam Dinh

Origin of Phủ Dầy Festival:

According to legend, Liễu Hạnh was a Quỳnh Hoa princess, the daughter of Ngọc Hoàng. Due to dropping a precious jade cup, she descended to the mortal world in 1557. She was reborn in the household of Lê Thái Công in Hà Tiên with the name Giáng Tiên. Possessing ethereal beauty, grace, and talents in poetry and music, she married Đào Lan, a renowned scholar during the Lê Trung Hưng era.

After embracing Buddhism, Liễu Hạnh traveled far and wide, performing charitable deeds, aiding in disease prevention, and encouraging the populace to resist the French colonialists. She arrived at Phủ Dầy (also known as Kẻ Giầy) in Nam Dinh to disseminate the teachings of the Four Virtues (filial piety, loyalty, honesty, and compassion) and integrate various beliefs such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, ancestral worship, and more. She constructed the Grand House for worshiping gods, Buddha, immortals, and saints, earning the respect of the locals as a benevolent figure.

After Liễu Hạnh's passing in 1599, a shrine named Cổ Lũng was established to honor her, and she was posthumously recognized as Mẫu Nghi Thiên Hạ. Over time, the popular worship of Ông Trần merged with the folk belief. In 1910, Chế Thắng Hòa, the Duke of Diệu Đại, bestowed the highest spiritual title upon her and changed Phủ Dầy to Phủ Dày.

Activities during Phủ Giầy Festival:

Phủ Dầy Festival spans from the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month each year. The main day is the 10th day, known as the anniversary of Thánh Mẫu Liễu Hạnh. The festival features three significant rituals: the procession to invite Mẫu for prayer, the torchlight procession, and the procession of the Hoa Trượng Hội.

The procession to invite Mẫu for prayer occurs on the night of the 9th day of the lunar month. It involves inviting Thánh Mẫu Liễu Hạnh from Cổ Lũng to the Grand House for worship. Participants, dressed in black ao ba ba attire with bare feet and carrying offerings such as fruits, square sticky rice cakes, round glutinous rice cakes, and wine, walk in a procession under lantern light and the sound of drums. After the prayer at Cổ Lũng, they bring Thánh Mẫu back to the Grand House for further worship.

The torchlight procession takes place on the morning of the 10th day of the lunar month. This ritual invites Thánh Mẫu from the Grand House to the courtyard for worship. Participants carry torches made of wrapped fabric and dipped in oil to illuminate the way. They walk from the Grand House to the courtyard in a procession accompanied by the sound of drums and music. After the courtyard worship, they bring Thánh Mẫu back to the Grand House.

The procession of the Hoa Trượng Hội takes place in the afternoon of the 10th day of the lunar month. This ritual expresses gratitude to Thánh Mẫu Liễu Hạnh and seeks prosperity for the new year. Participants pull a wooden carriage adorned with a Chứ (a type of red-flowered tree) from the Grand House to the courtyard. They wander around the courtyard, plucking Chứ flowers to put in their hair or clothes, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.

In addition to these three rituals, Phủ Dầy Festival includes various entertaining activities such as wrestling, human chess, water puppetry, rice blowing competition, traditional singing, and more, attracting numerous domestic and international tourists.

Architecture of Phủ Giầy:

Phủ Dầy comprises an extensive complex of wooden architecture made from precious woods like ironwood, rosewood, sến wood, and teak. Covering an area of about 2 hectares, Phủ Dầy is divided into three zones: the shrine, the communal house, schools, markets, the Ghe Sấm conservation house, and the tomb area for Thánh Mẫu Liễu Hạnh. Phủ Dầy harmoniously blends folk beliefs with Confucianism and Taoism. It houses numerous valuable artifacts such as a set of eight immortals' carved chairs (depicting 8 immortal figures, intricately carved in precious stones and sào cypress wood) used by King Thành Thái in Bạch Dinh, and a set of ancient ancestral worship cabinets made of sào cypress originating from Hà Đông. Phủ Dầy was officially recognized as a historical-cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1991.

Phủ Dầy Festival in Nam Dinh is a traditional celebration of the people of Kim Thai commune, Vụ Bản district, Nam Dinh province. The festival takes place every March in the lunar calendar to honor Thánh Mẫu Liễu Hạnh, one of the Four Immortals revered by the Vietnamese people. Phủ Dầy Festival holds not only religious significance but also cultural and historical importance, reflecting the patriotic and humanitarian spirit of the people of Nam Dinh. The festival features many distinctive and attractive activities such as the procession to invite Mẫu for prayer, the torchlight procession, the procession of the Hoa Trượng Hội, and various traditional folk games. Phủ Dầy is also an impressive and unique wooden architectural complex made from precious woods, preserving many valuable artifacts. It stands as an important historical-cultural relic of Nam Dinh province and the entire country.