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"Vietnamese Religious Costumes," organized by the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France with the participation of artist Alain Vu Hoang Mi and folklore researcher Tran Quang Khai, will be held in France from July 19th to September 3rd.
The exhibition will showcase 36 costumes used in the Hầu Đồng ritual, along with artistic performances by Vietnamese folk artists. The exhibition will provide the public with a clearer understanding of the costumes used in Vietnamese Hầu Đồng rituals. Besides the costumes from the 36 Hầu Đồng ceremonies, the exhibition will also display the elaborate jewelry that accompanies each costume.
As a folk belief, the spirit medium ritual is a religious ceremony closely associated with the Mother Goddess worship of the Vietnamese people. A complete spirit medium ritual consists of 36 stages, with each stage featuring a different costume worn by the mediums; 36 stages correspond to 36 sets of costumes. Ancient Vietnamese people believed that through the spirit medium ritual, people could communicate with deities and their ancestors in a state of spiritual transcendence and ecstasy.
A considerable time ago, the spirit medium ritual was banned for being considered superstitious. However, since the 1990s, this art form, as well as the spirit medium ritual, has been recognized for its inherent value. Currently, the dossier on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship ritual (spirit medium ritual) has been completed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
During this period, while UNESCO was considering recognizing the "Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Ritual," the "Vietnamese Religious Costumes" exhibition held in France provided a good opportunity to introduce and promote the beauty of the costumes worn by the mediums in particular, and the Mother Goddess worship rituals in general, to a wider audience of Vietnamese people living in France, as well as French friends.
