On the afternoon of February 9th (ie December 22nd of the lunar calendar), at the South Gate of the World Heritage Citadel of Ho Citadel, the Management Board of the Ho Citadel Heritage and key relics of Thanh Hoa province organized a Heritage Education program with activities recreating the ancient Tet Neu ceremony, combined with releasing Ong Cong fish in the Imperial Palace.
This year's Neu ceremony has the participation of many students in the Ho Citadel heritage area and a large number of people and tourists from all over.
According to representatives of the Management Board of Ho Citadel Heritage and key relics of Thanh Hoa province, the Neu tree erection ceremony on Tet is a traditional Vietnamese custom, signaling the beginning of a new year. When the Neu tree is lowered, it is also the time when farmers go to the fields to plow and cultivate on the 7th day of the first lunar month. The Neu tree erection ceremony, also known as the Thuong Tieu ceremony, is an indispensable ritual during the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. When the Neu tree is erected, it is a sign that Tet officially begins.
This activity aims to implement an educational program, helping students in the area better understand the value of the Ho Citadel heritage as well as the traditional cultural beauty of Vietnamese people that is being maintained and continued in today's life.
In addition to the raised Neu ceremony, the unit also performs the ritual of releasing Ong Cong and Ong Tao fish to heaven in the Royal Palace space, thereby expressing the wish for a new year of peace and happiness. This is also an opportunity for participants to better understand the depth of belief in traditional Tet life" - shared a representative of the Management Board of Ho Citadel and key relics of Thanh Hoa province.
