Cao Dai Full-Moon Festival Preserves Cultural and Spiritual Values

Nearly 200,000 Cao Dai followers, tourists and local residents gathered at the Cao Dai Holy See in the southern province of Tay Ninh on September 25 evening for “Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung,” the largest annual festival of Caodaism.

The procession of flower-decorated carriages for the Great Mother and the Nine Goddesses at the Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung Festival. Photo: VNA

The festival features a spectacular night procession with the traditional dances of the four sacred animals, highlighted by an over 30-meter-long dragon. Photo: VNA

Performing the dances of the four sacred animals during the festival. Photo: VNA

Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the festival is a major religious ceremony honoring the Great Mother and the Nine Goddesses of the Dieu Tri Palace, also known as the Jasper Pond Palace.

The festival features solemn religious rituals, traditional music and cultural activities, attracting large crowds to the Holy See. For Cao Dai followers, it is an important occasion to express their faith and pray for peace, prosperity and favorable weather.

The over 30m-long fire-breathing Incense Dragon is one of the unique features of the Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung Festival. Photo: VNA

Performing the dances of Ngoc Ky Lan (Jade Unicorn) - one of the four sacred animals during the festival. Photo: VNA

The event also offers visitors a chance to learn more about Caodaism, a religion that originated in southern Vietnam in the early 20th century. The distinctive architecture of the Cao Dai Holy See, colorful religious costumes and elaborate ceremonies add to the festival’s cultural appeal.

Beyond its religious significance, “Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung” helps preserve and promote Cao Dai’s distinctive cultural and spiritual traditions. Passed down through generations, the festival remains an important part of the religious and cultural life of the Cao Dai community in Tay Ninh.

By VNA/VNP