The Hòn Chén Festival belongs to the Đạo Mẫu religion, an indigenous religion of Vietnam. It takes place in Huế twice a year on the 2nd and 3rd days of the 3rd and 7th month of the lunar calendar. In early 2022, I joined the beginning of the festival as participants congregated at the Mother Goddess temple in Chi Lăng and the walk to the boats Nhà Thờ Thánh Mẫu Thiên Y A Na, Tiên Thiên Thánh Giáo at Nghinh Lương Đình.
The Mother Goddess Religion, known as Đạo Mẫu, is a multifaceted belief system in Vietnam that encompasses various layers of worship. This indigenous faith emerged from the pleas for fertility among farmers during the feudal period and evolved to adapt to the needs of various societal classes. Central to this religion are the Mother Goddesses who represent different aspects of life and nature. Đạo Mẫu features sacred rituals, like the Hầu Đồng ceremony (also known as lên đồng), which involves mediums embodying spirits. The spirits (who take over the actions of the mediums) will dance, smoke and drink as forms in self-indulgence on return to the living realm. They occasionally give words of warning or advice as well as give out money to observers.
The Hòn Chén Festival centres around its namesake, the Hòn Chén temple. A temple that preceded the Nguyễn Dynasty in Huế and was greatly admired by the emperors, receiving several renovations and expansions when Huế was Vietnam’s imperial capital.
The Hòn Chén festival takes places over two days and begins with a congregation of the members of different temples fromThừa Thiên Huế province at the Thiên Y A Na temple in Chi Lăng around 7am. From there, participants will walk along Chi Lăng road across Gia Hội bridge and along Trần Hưng Đạo and Lê Duẩn street until they reach Nghinh Lương Đình (Lương Đình pavilion) in front of the Citadel. After a short ceremony at the pavilion, participants then board boats which take them up the Hương river to the Hòn Chén temple where the festival’s main events begin.
Due to personal reasons, I was only able to join the walk from the temple and had to leave once participants boarded the dragon boats. These photos were taken on the 2nd day of the 3rd lunar month in 2022.
Beginning the Hón Chèn Festival at Thiên Y A Na temple on Chi Lăng.
The Walk to Hón Chèn Temple.
Arriving at the Lương Đình pavilion and Boarding the Boats
