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As part of the activities celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, the Tet Viet 2022 program takes visitors back in time, allowing them to relive the atmosphere of the past with many activities rich in the cultural and traditional values of the nation.
To prepare for the program, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center organized the filming of the 2022 Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) programs at Thang Long Imperial Citadel, allowing visitors to experience the activities through an online exhibition on the website.www.hoangthanhthanglong.vnandtrungbayonline.hoangthanhthanglong.vnAt the exhibition, the processes of carving, printing, and binding calendars are vividly recreated through a collection of specialized tools and materials used by woodblock carving artisans. A unique highlight of this online exhibition is the documentary interpretation and images of the calendar-making and issuance process of the Le Dynasty, particularly the reconstruction of the cover of the imperial calendar presented to the king.
Recreating the ritual space of the Le Dynasty's historical calendar.
Notably, this year, on January 15th, the Thang Long Cultural Heritage Association's coordinating center and Y Van Hien Company will for the first time reenact the imperial calendar presentation ceremony at Thang Long Imperial Citadel, based on research into imperial rituals presented in a theatrical format. The ceremony includes rituals taking place at Doan Mon Gate and Kinh Thien Palace courtyard, such as: officials paying homage, carrying the imperial calendar, offering incense, the Imperial Astronomer presenting the calendar, the Imperial Edict reading the edict, the Minister of Rites bestowing the calendar upon the hundred officials, etc.
Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) is one of the most important and significant festivals in Vietnam, along with the Lunar New Year celebrations of other East Asian countries. In particular, the Tet celebration within the royal court held a unique atmosphere of solemnity and power. To prepare for the new year, one of the first activities of the king and the court was to distribute calendars to officials and the people.
A simulated image of the royal calendar being presented to the king.
The program also includes an interactive session with historian Le Van Lan and woodblock carving artist Nguyen Van Thao. Through this, the public has the opportunity to learn about the origins, meaning, and role of the Lunar New Year calendar-proclaiming ceremony.
In addition, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center continues to maintain the exhibition space showcasing traditional Tet customs, including images of the atmosphere of preparing for Tet, the custom of worshipping ancestors, the custom of hanging Tet paintings, Tet couplets, Tet greetings, etc.
