On Feb. 1, 2012 ( the tenth day of the first lunar month), the Opening Ceremony of Yen Tu Spring Festival 2012 was held at Yen Tu relic.
The ceremony was attended by State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan-; representatives of the Central Buddhist Association of Vietnam; leaders of Quang Ninh province; representatives of the central and provincial departments and sectors, as well as a large number of Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors.
The Opening Ceremony started with a ceremonial procession, followed by art performances with an impressive drum performance. At the ceremony, a series of dragon and lion dances, martial art performances and especially an opera ‘Hao Khi Non Thieng’ (the spirit of sacred mountain) were performed by hundreds of artists of the Quang Ninh Cheo Troupe. The opera recreated the context that Emperor Tran Nhan Tong abdicated his throne then left his palace for Yen Tu to found the Thien Truc Lam Buddhist sect and became its first leader under the religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan Tong.
After Vice-Chairman of QNPPC Nguyen Van Doc and the standing member of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu rang the belt and sounded the drum, all participants at ceremony prayed for peace for the country and the people. Then, they offered incense and visited the sites within Yen Tu relic.
This year, Yen Tu Buddhist Spring Festival was held on a beautiful day. Thanks to good preparation of Uong Bi City People’s Committee, security, environmental sanitation, and especially traffic safety are all well-done.
Phan Hang
