Sacred Spring Festival in Con Son

Con Son Pagoda has the Chinese name Con Son Thien Tu Phuc Tu, which means the pagoda blessed by heaven.

At the end of the 13th century, the Truc Lam Zen sect, a Buddhist sect with national consciousness and autonomy, built Ky Lan pagoda for monks and nuns to practice. Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa, Huyen Quang - the three founders of this Zen sect often came here to practice and propagate Buddhism. In particular, the third patriarch Huyen Quang, when he came to preside over Con Son pagoda, built Con Son into one of the three famous centers of the Truc Lam Buddhist sect. On January 23, 1334, Truc Lam Third Patriarch passed away at Con Son pagoda. The day of Huyen Quang's passing became the death anniversary of Con Son pagoda, and then became a festival. Thus, the spring festival of Con Son pagoda originated from the death anniversary of Truc Lam Third Patriarch, which dates back to the beginning of the 14th century.

The Con Son Pagoda Spring Festival has many unique rituals and folk games held from January 10 to 23. At the festival, we will be immersed in the sacred atmosphere of the rituals, feel the harmony between heaven and earth and immerse ourselves in the beautiful nature of the Con Son relic site.

Water processionTaking place on the morning of January 16 is an important ritual in the Con Son Pagoda festival, expressing the wish to pray for good harvest, water, health and prosperity, good crops, etc. At the same time, it demonstrates the strength of the village community, evoking the solidarity of community sentiment. The ritual attracts a large number of people and Buddhists to participate. The procession from the pagoda to Con Son Lake performs a water-praying ceremony with full rituals such as: reporting to the gods, chanting mantras, praying for water, and installing a water vase. After a year of favorable business, entering the new year, the whole community performs a ceremony to welcome the three holy ancestors of the Truc Lam Zen sect to pray for water for production and a full and harmonious life for the people. In the new year, people and tourists respectfully welcome the Buddha to admire the prosperity and peace of the country, the success and solidarity of generations of descendants. The sacred atmosphere of the water procession with joyful and jubilant emotions spreads to pray for favorable weather, good crops, abundant food for every family and all good things. Then the water procession returned to the Ancestral Hall of Con Son Pagoda to perform the enthronement ceremony according to traditional Buddhist rituals.

Opening ceremonyheld on the morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, with the meaning of commemorating the death anniversary of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang Venerable, announcing the Prime Minister's Decision to recognize the statues of the Three Buddhas of Con Son Pagoda as a national treasure, promoting the outstanding global values ​​of the relic site in the process of completing the dossier of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac relic and landscape complex to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a world heritage site.

After the special art program, the representative of the provincial leaders read the memorial speech and opened the festival. In the sacred atmosphere of the festival, the large incense burner of Con Son Pagoda spread fragrant incense, making the atmosphere more solemn, the sound of drums and gongs to open the festival resounded loudly, blending with the earth and sky. The sacred space combined with the jubilant atmosphere of the festival, in the sound of drums and gongs, the flowing music, everyone respectfully offered incense to Heaven - Earth, Buddha - Saints, ancestors with the belief that their wishes would be fulfilled.

Heaven and Earth Worship Ceremony on Five Mountainstakes place on the morning of January 17 at Trung Nhac temple. This is a special traditional ritual in the Con Son festival. If on January 16, people carry the Holy Ancestor to pray for water, symbolizing going to the river and sea to pray for the water gods to bless favorable weather, favorable agricultural production without floods or droughts, and bountiful crops, then the ceremony to worship heaven and earth at Ngu Nhac Linh Tu is a ritual to respectfully inform heaven and earth on the most sacred day of the first festival of the year, praying for national peace and prosperity.

Ngu Nhac is where heaven and earth meet. The five peaks of Ngu Nhac are evenly distributed in five directions. Since ancient times, dynasties have built five temples to worship heaven, earth and the saints, called Ngu Nhac Linh Tu, including:

Dong Nhac - Thai Son:Wood element, green color, worships the god Dong Nhac Thien Te Dai Vuong Nhan Thanh De Quan, who controls the good and bad luck of the human world.

Nam Nhac - Hoanh Son:Fire element, red color, worships Ty Thien Chieu Thanh De Quan, governor of aquatic species.

West Mountain - Mount Hua:Metal element, white color, worships the god Kim Thien Thuan Thanh De Quan, who governs the five metals and the bird family.

Northern Mountain - Hengshan:Water element, black color, worships An Thien Nguyen Thanh De Quan god, rules rivers, seas, lakes, animals, snakes, centipedes and insects.

Central Music - Tung Son:Earth element, yellow color, worships the god Trung Thien Sung Thanh De Quan, manages land, trees, forests, mountains, ravines.

In ancient times, whenever the country was invaded by foreign invaders, bandits, epidemics, droughts, crop failures, etc., the court sent officials to the Five Mountains to perform rituals to heaven and earth to pray for peace and prosperity for the country and its people. Every time a king ascended the throne, he would return to the Five Mountains to respectfully report to heaven and earth.

In the 14th century, Grand Tutor Tran Nguyen Dan returned to Con Son, restored the pagoda, and set up a Tinh Dau altar on Ngu Nhac to worship heaven and earth, praying for the dynasty to last forever and the country to be strong and prosperous. Therefore, the ancients praised:

The place of Chi Linh is actually the true spirit of Con Son.

Kunshan is the most sacred place, truly relying on the beauty of the Five Mountains.

Mean:

Chi Linh land is sacred because of the sacred Con Son,

Con Son is sacred because of the Five Mountains.

The Con Son Spring Festival, a ceremony to worship heaven and earth on Ngu Nhac, is an important national ceremony. The main celebrant is a representative of the government, along with a large number of people and Buddhists from all over the country.

The ceremony to worship heaven and earth at Ngu Nhac Linh Tu takes place after the opening ceremony.(January 16)Water procession at Con Son Pagoda. Vegetarian offerings include 5 types of fruit symbolizing the five elements.(Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth); the salty ceremony is a three-element feast including: pig, goose, and carp.(symbolizing the three palaces: Heaven, Earth, Water). The five types of cereals offered in the ceremony correspond to the five elements: rice - earth element, corn - metal element, beans - fire element, peanuts - wood element, sesame - water element. The cereals offered in the ceremony are the five most quintessential species born from heaven and earth to nourish humans and all things; they are the material to reproduce and maintain life in the world. Therefore, the cereals offered in the ceremony are carefully selected. On the evening of January 14, they are offered to the ancestral hall of Con Son pagoda to pray for Buddha to bless them to become the God of Cereals. On January 16, the God of Cereals is presented to Trung Nhac temple.

On the day of worshiping heaven and earth, at the hour of the Dragon (7am - 9am), the procession goes from the gate of Ngu Nhac to Trung Nhac temple. Leading the procession is the chief celebrant and the people and Buddhists from all directions. At Trung Nhac, the group of monks performs the worship rituals. The chief celebrant offers incense and presents a petition to heaven and earth to bless the country with peace and prosperity, favorable weather, good crops, etc. The chief celebrant distributes grain to the people to use as seeds. The procession performs the ceremony, offers incense at the temples, then descends the mountain.

At the beginning of the new year, on the majestic high mountains, in the resounding sound of royal music, the sacred scenery, the warm spring weather, people's hearts seem to be excited, filled with joy, believing in a good and peaceful new year.