As part of a series of activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, the Vietnamese Tet 2022 program takes visitors back in time, experiencing life in the space of ancient times, with many activities imbued with the nation's culture and traditions.
To prepare for the program, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center organized the recording of the 2022 Vietnamese Tet programs at Thang Long Imperial Citadel, so that visitors can experience the activities through the Online Exhibition on the website.www.hoangthanhthanglong.vnandtrungbayonline.hoangthanhthanglong.vn. At the Exhibition, the processes of carving, printing, and binding calendars are vividly recreated through a collection of specialized tools and materials of woodblock carving artisans. The unique highlight of this online Exhibition is the interpretation of documents and images about the calendar making and issuance process of the Le Dynasty, especially the reproduction of the cover of the royal calendar presented to the king.
Re-enactment of the Le Dynasty's Tien Lich ritual space
In particular, this year, on January 15, the Thang Long Cultural Heritage Association and Y Van Hien Company, for the first time, experienced the royal ritual of the Tien Lich ceremony at Thang Long Imperial Citadel, also at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, based on the research results of royal rituals in the form of dramatization. The ritual includes rituals taking place at Doan Mon gate and Kinh Thien Palace yard such as: officials entering the court, carrying the royal calendar, offering incense, the Tu Thien Giam official presenting the royal calendar, the Truyen Che official reading the calendar, the Le Khoa official presiding over the calendar of the hundred officials, etc.
Lunar New Year is the most important and meaningful festival in Vietnam, along with the Lunar New Year culture of East Asian countries. In particular, Tet in the royal court also has a unique appearance of solemnity and power. To prepare for the new year, one of the first activities of the king and the court is to issue the calendar to the mandarins and the people.
Simulated image of the royal calendar presented to the king
The program also included an exchange with historian Le Van Lan and woodblock artist Nguyen Van Thao. Through this, the public had the opportunity to learn about the origin, meaning and role of the Tien Lich spring celebration ceremony.
In addition, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center continues to maintain the display of traditional Tet customs including images of the atmosphere preparing for Tet, the custom of worshipping ancestors, the custom of hanging Tet paintings, Tet parallel sentences, Tet wishes, etc.
