According to folk legend, Ngu Nhac mountain is a land of blessed gods and fairies, enjoying the wonderful scenery in the mortal world. Ngu Nhac are 5 sacred mountains symbolizing 5 directions (four directions and the central direction), each direction corresponding to one element (metal, wood, water, fire, earth). Therefore, on each top of Ngu Nhac, there is a place to worship the gods.
On March 7, the delegation, along with people and tourists, departed for Ngu Nhac mountain. The delegation offered incense and flowers at Bac Nhac temple, symbolizing water element, worshiping the Black Emperor - a person with a very high position in Taoism. Bac Nhac temple belongs to the North, black, symbolizing winter. The ceremony at Bac Nhac temple is to pray for favorable weather.
From Bac Nhac Mieu, the ceremonial delegation proceeded to Trung Nhac Mieu to worship heaven and earth according to traditional rituals. According to beliefs, Trung Nhac Mieu symbolizes the earth element, worshiping the supreme god of Taoism. Trung Nhac is located in the center, the color of the earth element - yellow. Ancient customs record that when the country encountered drought, crop failure, and war, the dynasties sent heads of court to pray to the sages for the country to have peace and good harvests.
Here, after the delegates offer incense, the monks perform the five-way ceremony, praying for a new year of national peace and prosperity, prosperous people and property, good harvests, and prosperous and peaceful country. City leaders perform the ritual of distributing grain to departments, agencies, leaders of communes and wards, along with people and tourists. The grain includes rice, corn, beans, peanuts, and sesame.
At the ceremony of worshiping heaven and earth, grain is a sacred item offered to worship Buddha, saints, heaven, earth, ancestors... to thank and pray for national prosperity and people's peace, and good harvests. The grain distributed to people and tourists to use as seeds is something that has been carefully selected, witnessed by Buddha, saints, heaven, and earth, brought back to mix into rice seeds, corn seeds, bean seeds, sesame seeds, peanut seeds to sow, with the wish that all things will multiply, prosper, harvests will be abundant, and all people will be well-fed, so that at the beginning of the following year, they will bring grain to worship and thank heaven and earth.
Leaving Trung Nhac temple, the delegation offered incense at Tay Nhac - a temple symbolizing the element of metal, worshiping the god Bach Ho Thanh De, Dong Nhac temple symbolizing the element of wood, worshiping the god Thanh Long De and Nam Nhac - a temple worshiping the god Xich De to pray for fire prevention. The ceremony of worshiping heaven and earth on Ngu Nhac mountain is a typical ritual in the Con Son - Kiep Bac spring festival, aiming to report to heaven and earth, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, national peace and prosperity, and prosperous people.
