On the morning of the 1st April 2017 (05 March of the lunar calendar year of rooster), at the special national relic of Tay Phuong pagoda, the People’s Committee of thach that district held an opening ceremony of the traditional festival of Tay Phuong pagoda 2017. On hand were Mr. Tran Dinh Canh, Deputy Head of Ha Noi Party Committee’s Organization and personnel Department; representatives from the Department of Culture and sports of Ha Noi, Ha Noi Department of Tourism, Ha Noi Buddhist Society’s Management Board, leaders of districts located in the city. On the part of Thach That district, it was represented by Mr. Nguyen Doan Hoan, Municipal Party Committee member – Head of the district Party Committee –Chairman of the district People’s Council, Mr. Tran Duc Nguyen, Deputy Head of the district Party Committee – Chairman of the district People’s committee, former key leaders of the district for generations; and other members of the district Standing Party Committee, standing members of the district People’s Council; leaders of the People’s Committee and the district Committee of Fatherland Front; heads of various agencies, unions and branches; leaders of communes, towns together with a large number of local people and tourists coming from far and near.
Mr. Tran Duc Nguyen, Chairman of Thach That district speaks at the opening ceremony of Tay Phuong pagoda festival
The special relic of Tay Phuong pagoda used to be named as Sung Phuc temple. It was built on the top of the mountain Cau Lau, with unique natural landscapes, most ever typical architechtural and sculptural Buddhist statues in the whole country. It was told that this pagoda came into being since the 3rd century, and during its existence had been repaired and renovated many times. And then it was until the period of Tay Son – Nguyen Quang Toan (1793-1802), the pagoda was reconstructed as of nowadays. The pagoda is structured in the form of the Chinese Three character, with two storeys and eight roofs covered with shoe-cap tiles, the knife-shaped lances’s angles sticked with the soft four supernatural creatures. On the pagoda’s walls, there are round windows bearing the Buddhist images. Inside the pagoda, there are 62 jackfruit wooden statues which have been dexteriously made with special scruptural arts. Prominent are the statues of Snow mountain, Diamond Octet and 18 Arhats… which have gathered together and created deeply aesthetical impressions on the traditional scuptural arts of Viet Nam. Tay Phuong pagoda has been recognized as the national treasure.
Festival drum performance
In 2017, Tay Phuong pagoda’s festival would be organized in two days as of the 1st and 2nd April, 2017 (or the 05th – 06th March of the lunar calendar year of the Rooster. Coming to Tay Phuong pogoda festival, while visiting the landscapes around, tourist would be able to enjoy local unique cultural, artistic performances i.e water puppet show, festival drum, as well as many other folk and mdern games. In order to make the festival successful, the relevant agencies of Thach That district have attached importance to the keeping of order and security, traffic safety, environmental sanitation and food hygiene. The Relic Management Board has deployed the first aid service and mapped out the solutions to traffic jams prevention, aimed at providing good services to tourist pilgrims coming from everywhere to attend the festival.
Water puppet show
Right after the opening ceremony, the leaders of the departments, districts, coomunes and towns together with Buddhist monks and nuns and visitors have joined the thurifying and bird-freeing rites at the special national relic of Tay Phuong pagoda.
By Van Thong