“Vietnamese Religious Costumes” organized by the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France with the participation of artist Alain Vu Hoang Mi and folk culture researcher Tran Quang Khai will be held in France from July 19 to September 3.
The exhibition will introduce to the public 36 costumes used in the Hau Dong ritual, in addition to an art program by Vietnamese folk artists. The exhibition will be an opportunity for the public to have a clearer view of the costumes used in the Hau Dong ritual of the Vietnamese people. In addition to the costumes in the 36 Dong Giap, the exhibition also displays the elaborate jewelry that goes with each costume.
As a folk belief, the Hau Dong ritual is a religious ritual associated with the Mother Goddess worship of the Vietnamese people. A complete Hau Dong ritual consists of 36 stages, each stage of the bronze rods will wear a different outfit, 36 bronze stages correspond to 36 outfits. The ancient Vietnamese believed that through the Hau Dong ritual, people can communicate with gods and their ancestors in a state of sublimation and ecstasy.
A long time ago, the ritual of Hau Dong was banned because it was considered superstitious. However, since the 90s, the art form of Chau Van as well as the Hau Dong ritual has been recognized for its inherent value. Currently, the dossier on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Ritual (Hau Dong ritual) has been completed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and sent to Unesco for recognition as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
During this time, when Unesco is considering the recognition of “Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Rituals”, the exhibition “Vietnamese Religious Costumes” held in France is a good opportunity to introduce and promote the beauty of the costumes of the mediums in particular and the Mother Goddess Worship Rituals in general to the Vietnamese public living in France, as well as French friends.
