Every year, on the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month (18th of March in the solar calendar), Da Nang city jubilantly welcomes the Quan The Am Ngu Hanh Son Festival, one of the typical folk festivals imbued with Buddhist beliefs, expressing the unique spiritual cultural beauty of the people of the Central region in particular and the whole country in general.
This is not only an opportunity for Buddhists to turn to the source of Dharma, but also a space for community cultural activities rich in identity, contributing to arousing compassion, charity, the spirit of goodwill and love for the homeland. The festival is the crystallization of Buddhist cultural values with the traditional culture of the Vietnamese people, an opportunity for everyone to pray together for national peace, people's peace and happiness for all living beings.
Quan The Am Festival (Quan The Am Festival) is held in the grounds of Quan The Am Pagoda in Da Nang - an attractive tourist destination in Da Nang.
The Quan The Am Ngu Hanh Son Festival is a unique spiritual and cultural activity, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. The festival contributes to promoting the image, culture and people of Da Nang to international friends.
A community cultural living space rich in identity
This year's Quan The Am - Ngu Hanh Son Festival took place from March 16 to 19 (February 17 to 20 of the lunar calendar), a unique cultural and spiritual event that attracted tens of thousands of people and tourists from all over the country and internationally to come and worship. The highlight of the festival is the procession of the statue and costume of Bodhisattva Quan The Am, a solemn and sacred ritual, expressing the people's respect and admiration for the compassionate Bodhisattva.
The Quan The Am Festival attracts tens of thousands of participants.
This year's Quan The Am - Ngu Hanh Son Festival takes place from March 16 to 19 (February 17 to 20 of the lunar calendar), attracting tens of thousands of people and tourists to come and worship with the procession of the statue and costume of Bodhisattva Quan The Am.
The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Festival, the most important and official ceremony of the Avalokitesvara - Ngu Hanh Son Festival, took place in a solemn and respectful atmosphere. This ceremony is not only a religious activity but also a symbol of love, compassion and goodness in each person's soul. The Avalokitesvara Festival (Avalokitesvara Festival) was held in the grounds of the Avalokitesvara Pagoda in Da Nang - an attractive tourist destination in Da Nang. This place is located in the Ngu Hanh Son tourist area, Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city.
This is one of the large-scale and powerful festivals in Da Nang, becoming an indispensable part of the spiritual and cultural life of the people here. The history of this festival is a long journey, closely linked to the development of Buddhism in the land of Ngu Hanh Son.
This is considered a unique spiritual festival of the people of Da Nang.
The year 1960 marked the first time the festival was held, on the occasion of the inauguration of the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara at Hoa Nghiem cave, Thuy Son mountain. This traditional folk festival originated from the birthday of Buddha Avalokitesvara, a Bodhisattva symbolizing compassion and saving the suffering. Two years later, in 1962, the festival was held for the second time, coinciding with the inauguration of Quan Am Pagoda in Da Nang, further affirming the position of the festival in the spiritual life of the people.
However, after a long interruption, in 1991, the Quan The Am festival was restored and maintained regularly until today. This event not only shows the respect and preservation of traditional cultural values, but also proves the strong vitality of Buddhism in the hearts of Da Nang people.
The ceremony expresses a message of love, turns the heart to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, prays for the country to always be peaceful and prosperous, and for the people to be happy and peaceful.
This is an occasion to pray for national peace and prosperity, for everyone to have a prosperous, peaceful and lucky life.
On February 3, 2021, an important milestone was recorded when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially recognized the Quan The Am festival as an intangible cultural heritage in Da Nang. This is a worthy recognition of the cultural, historical and spiritual values that the festival brings.
This folk festival is held in Ngu Hanh Son tourist area and has strong elements of Buddhist beliefs.
However, in 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Da Nang Quan The Am festival could not take place. However, the absence of the festival that year only further highlighted its value and meaning, and at the same time aroused people's expectations and hopes for the following festival seasons.
Unique spiritual culture
Along with the Cau Ngu Festival, the Quan The Am Festival is one of the unique spiritual cultural features that make up the unique identity of the people of Da Nang. Not only is it a place to express respect to Bodhisattva Quan The Am, the festival is also an opportunity for everyone to explore unique rituals and participate in fun and exciting entertainment activities.
The ceremony and festival part of the event has many special events.
The ceremony of the Quan The Am Festival in Da Nang includes solemn rituals, bearing the mark of Buddhist beliefs. The opening is the Light Procession Ceremony, held on the 18th day of the second lunar month, with the participation of palanquin processions, torch processions, and special lion and dragon dance performances. Next, in the early morning of the 19th day of the second lunar month, the Opening Ceremony is held, praying for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather and favorable weather.
In 1960, on the occasion of the inauguration of the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in Hoa Nghiem cave on Thuy Son mountain, the Avalokitesvara festival was held for the first time. This traditional folk festival originated from the birthday of Buddha Avalokitesvara.
Also on the morning of the 19th day of the second lunar month, a vegetarian ceremony was held to worship all living beings and pray for the deceased. Afterwards, a sermon on Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara took place, praising the Buddha's compassion and praying for a prosperous life for the people and a prosperous country. The highlight of the ceremony was the procession of the statue of Avalokiteshvara, which took place at around 10 a.m. on the 19th day of the second lunar month, praying for the safety and luck of fishermen and those working on the river.
In addition, the ceremony also has many other activities such as the Quan The Am costume ceremony, the flower lantern ceremony, creating a sacred and colorful space. These rituals not only show the people's respect for Quan The Am Bodhisattva, but also an opportunity for everyone to pray together for a peaceful and happy life.
The festival atmosphere is filled with solemnity and purity through special rituals such as the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's birthday ceremony, the light procession ceremony, the incense offering ceremony in memory of Princess Huyen Tran,...
The festival part of the Quan The Am Festival in Da Nang is not only an additional part, but also a colorful cultural picture, bringing unique and new experiences to visitors. With a harmonious combination of traditional and modern culture, the festival has created a vibrant space, full of cultural, artistic and sports activities.
The festival attracts many tourists to experience
Visitors will be immersed in unique experiences, where traditional and modern cultures subtly blend. Activities such as masquerade, chess competition, opera, folk songs, music and painting, dancing with the four sacred animals, tug of war, sculpture, releasing lanterns on the river... are not only artistic performances, but also profound cultural experiences, helping visitors better understand the cultural identity of the people of Da Nang.
The festival is also the place where artistic exhibitions take place, such as ink painting and calligraphy exhibitions, bringing visitors unique works of art, expressing the talent and soul of the artists. In addition, competitions such as explaining the scenic spots of Ngu Hanh Son, vegetarian cooking contests... are also interesting activities, attracting the participation of many tourists.
Along with the ceremony is a bustling and lively festival, imbued with traditional cultural identity mixed with modern breath such as traditional boat racing, village flag festival, tug of war, stilt walking competition...
The festival part of Quan The Am Festival is not only a place for fun and entertainment, but also a place for people to exchange, learn and explore traditional cultural values. These activities not only contribute to enriching the spiritual and cultural life of Da Nang people, but are also an important factor in attracting tourists to this beautiful coastal city.
Besides the spiritual cultural element, the Quan The Am Festival bears the imprint of traditional cultural values of the nation in general and the land of Quang Nam - Da Nang in particular.
