Visitors flock to Mother Goddess worshipping festival in Yen Bai
A festival centring on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worshipping opened in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on October 26, drawing large crowds of practitioners and visitors.
Dong Cuong temple in Yen Bai province (Photo: VNA)
Yen Bai (VNA) – A festivalcentring on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worshipping opened in the northernmountainous province of Yen Bai on October 26, drawing large crowds o☂f practitionersand visitors.
Honouring the Mother Goddess of Forest worshippingpractice, the event took place at the local Dong Cuong temple, known as thebirthplace of Mother Goddess Worship Practice. It entailed several activities, includingthe practice of “len dong” (going into a trance), a carnival recreating theMother Goddess, and an exhibition of photos and paintings depicting thepractice, together with folk games and sport competitions. The Mother Goddess of Forest is among theMother Goddesses of the Three Realms in the Viet beliefs who look after heaven,water and mountains and forests. The Vietnamese Mother Goddess worshippingwas officially recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage ofhumanity in late 2016. The Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses ofThree Realms has been practiced in numerous northern mountainous provincesacross the nation since the 16th century. The practitioners are comprised of templeguardians, ritual priests, spirit mediums, mediums’ assistants, musicians whoperform the songs for the spirits, disciples and lay adherents who share thesame beliefs in the spiritual power, supernatural strength and protection ofthe Mother Goddess spirit pantheon. All of these practitioners form groups whoworship together, take part in traditional festivals and perform spiritpossession rituals at temples and palaces dedicated to Mother Goddesses./.
A ceremony was held in the southern province of Tay Ninh to announce the recognition of Linh Son Thanh Mau (or Mother Goddess of the Mountain) festival as national intangible cultural heritage.
The worship of Tay Thien National Mother in Tam Dao district, northern Vinh Phuc province, has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Dong Cuong temple in Yen Bai province (Photo: VNA) 
