Numerous locals, visitors attend Peace Praying Ceremony, Colored Lantern Festival

Thousands of candles form the words Le Hoi Hoa Dang – Quoc Thai Dan An (Colored Lantern Festival – Peaceful and Prosperous Country)

Numerous locals and visitors were present on the dyke of the Luc Dau river in Kiep Bac relic site on the evening of September 27 (the 18th day of the 8th lunar month) to attend the Peace Praying Ceremony and the Colored Lantern Festival.

The ceremony took place solemnly in shimmering colors.

Monks, shamans, delegates, and people offered incense and took sacrifices from Kiep Bac temple to a tower built by the river.

Taking the lead were dragon dance, offering, and ceremonial musical teams, followed by the delegates, monks, shamans, locals, and tourists.

Students of Sao Do University participate in the Colored Lantern Festival

The nine-storey tower was splendidly erected on the dyke opposite the gate of Kiep Bac temple, symbolizing an axis connecting heaven and earth, yin and yang. Patterns of three religions, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, were interwoven with each other on the nine storeys, demonstrating the harmony of the three religions.

On the river, boats were brimful of colored lanterns, sparkling and brightening a corner of Van Kiep sky.

The monks and shamans performed the Peace Praying and Animal Releasing Ceremonies. Then, 5,000 colored lanterns were passed from hand to hand and drifted downstream the Luc Dau river.

Many youngsters line up to drop colored lanterns on the Luc Dau river to pray for peace. Photos: Thanh Chung

The Peace Praying Ceremony and the Colored Lantern Festival are important events of the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival.

The ceremony aims to commemorate, express gratitude, and pray for the peace of the soul of heroes and martyrs, especially soldiers of the Tran dynasty in the resistance war against Yuan – Mongol invaders and the losers in the Luc Dau river, thereby praying for peace, health, prosperity, etc.

TIEN MANH