Song Linh Village Temple Worship Ceremony
Song Linh Communal House, Luong Vuong Commune is a historical and cultural relic recognized by the Provincial People's Committee in 2015. Song Linh Communal House is located in Hamlet 10, Luong Vuong Commune, Tuyen Quang City. It was built during the Later Le Dynasty, around the 18th century, to worship the mountain god Hoang Quy Minh Dai Vuong and the village's tutelary gods Ha Dai Vuong (local) and Phan Dai Vuong. In addition, the communal house also worships Princess Thiem Hoa (ie Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hai). On the 3rd day of the first lunar month every year, local people organize a very solemn Tung Con Festival to express their gratitude to the village's tutelary gods and the gods. The festival takes place on the rice field of Song Linh Village (now Hamlet 10). Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Khiem, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Luong Vuong Commune, said that the Song Linh Communal House Festival is both a unique cultural feature and a spiritual ritual that has been maintained for many years. Therefore, the festival is organized to arouse awareness of preserving and promoting historical and cultural values; at the same time, it contributes to strengthening the great national unity bloc, meeting the spiritual, cultural and religious needs of local people and visitors from all over the world.
Cultural and artistic activities at the Festival
Song Linh Communal House Festival includes activities such as: Incense offering ceremony, worshiping Thanh Hoang, ancestors and predecessors who have contributed to reclaiming this land, people offer the gods words of gratitude and pray for a good harvest, prosperity and a prosperous and full life throughout the year. The festival will be held in a bustling, joyful atmosphere with unique folk games, carrying the ritual of praying for a good harvest, such as: blindfolded drumming, sack jumping, walking on bamboo bridges to pick spring buds, running on stilts, blindfolded duck catching, tossing bottle rings... showing the talent and intelligence of the ethnic people in the region, attracting a large number of young men and women, locals and tourists to participate. Besides traditional games, unique performances imbued with the cultural identity of the Cao Lan ethnic group such as gau bird dance, sinh ca singing, and con dance also create a joyful and exciting atmosphere for the festival. Ms. Dam Thi Nhung, Village 9, Luong Vuong Commune, excitedly said that Luong Vuong Commune currently has over 70% of Cao Lan ethnic people living there. The Song Linh Communal House Festival is held annually, which is a traditional cultural beauty imbued with the ethnic identity of the people of Luong Vuong Commune, bringing spiritual life to the community. She feels very proud because the cultural identity of the village has always been preserved until today, so every time the festival comes, she is very enthusiastic and eager to participate in the performing arts activities and folk games of the festival with the desire to contribute with the villagers to preserve the traditions of the village to pass on to the next generation.
Folk games at the festival
Song Linh Communal House Festival in the first days of the New Year is not only a cultural activity of the community, the organization of the festival also creates income for local people from service activities such as parking, selling goods, souvenirs, food and beverage services, thereby contributing to preserving and promoting the inherent cultural beauty, ensuring the profound humanistic value of the festival. At the same time, promoting culture, promoting the development of tourism in the city.
Article and photos: Thanh Xuan - City Center for Culture, Information and Communication
