Amidst the sacred space of the ancient temples, Hau Dong ritual takes place in the sound of the moon lute, the sound of the chau drum and the resounding chau van tunes. Each chau ritual recreates the image of a saint in the Four Palaces such as: Saint Mother, Great Official, Chau Ba, Ong Hoang, Saint Co or Saint Cau, through costumes, music, Hat Van lyrics and performance rituals.
Following the rhythm of Van singing, Thanh Dong successively changes their ceremonial costumes and performs ritual dances with characteristic props such as fans, swords, flags or silk strips. Each costume, movement and prop has symbolic meaning, contributing to creating a unique folk performance form. But Hau Dong is not just a story of Thanh Dong people.
Behind each "gia hau" is a whole cultural space with cung van (ritual singers) keeping the beat of singing, drummers, servants offering scarves, votive paper artisans, ceremonial costume tailors and people quietly sitting for many hours in the hall to follow each "gia dong". It is the resonance of many people and many handicrafts that has created the sustainable vitality of the ritual.
Besides the offerings, many details behind the ritual also contribute to the value of the heritage: Well-prepared offerings, votive papers imbued with folk art, the singing of the palace singers, the servants quietly adjusting the ritual costumes for the spirit medium, or the attentive eyes of those attending the ceremony. It is these silent people and work that have created the sustainable vitality of Mother Goddess worship practice. These are slices showing that Hau Dong is not only a religious ritual but also a cultural space where performance art, music, fine arts, handicrafts and community life blend together.
In 2016, "Practicing the belief in worshiping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms of Vietnamese people" was listed by UNESCO on the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The value of heritage is not in mystery, but in the ability to connect communities, preserve cultural memories and nurture folk art forms that have been passed down through many generations.
Thoai Phu Festival month" is therefore not only a festival season for religious practitioners, but also an opportunity to see the vitality of a heritage that is still being preserved by the community. In the sound of Van singing, the beat of the chau drum and the colors of the spirit possession rituals, traditions are not standing still in the past but are still present and moving with the rhythm of life today.
(Photo set taken at Lanh Giang Temple and Phu Giay complex in Ninh Binh in July 2026)
