Ceremony held to pray for peaceful nation and happy people at Yen Tu

The Yen Tu Spring Festival kicked off on February 10 or the 10th day of the Lunar New Year with a ceremony to pray for peaceful nation and happy people at Hoa Yen Pagoda in Uong Bi city.

The event was held solemnly to review the great value of Yen Tu mountain, the origin of Truc Lam Zen sect and the contribution of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong. It included a procession from the foot of the mountain to Hue Quang Tower and Hoa Yen Pagoda and an incense offering ceremony to pray for the peace of the nation.

The festival of Yen Tu spring annually takes place on the 10th day of the first lunar month. Though this year’s event was downsized due to the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vietnam, rituals still maintained parts of their long-standing traditions.

Participants were required to put on face masks and abide by other COVID-19 prevention measures.

The Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscapes has emerged as a naturally splendid and open tourist area, which can meet all criteria for safe tourism.

The authorities have implemented plenty of measures against Covid-19 epidemic to ensure safety for tourists and pilgrims. It is estimated that this attractive has welcomed  more than 100,000 visitor arrivals since the beginning of this year.  

Yen Tu Mountain is located around 50 kilometres from Ha Long city. The area has awe-inspiring scenery, surrounded by ancient pagodas and hermitages.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third King of the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400), ascended to the throne when he was just 21 years old. He was famed for defeating thr Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

The king abdicated when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practicing and propagating Buddhism. He founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong” or Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain. The 20,000ha site is considered the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Yen Tu became a major Buddhist Centre and King Tran Nhan Tong became its first leader under the religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan Tong. He ordered the construction of hundreds of religious buildings on Yen Tu Mountains for teaching and following a religious life.

Yen Tu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September 2012.