Con Temple's Spring Festival

Con Temple's Spring Festival


The Con Temple Festival in Quynh Mai is one of the largest, oldest, and most distinctive traditional festivals in Nghe An Province. Recognized for its outstanding historical and cultural significance, the festival has been inscribed on Vietnam’s national list of intangible cultural heritages.

Locals and visitors take part in the Cau Ngu Ceremony, seeking favorable weather, calm seas, abundant catches, and safe voyages for fishermen. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen
A dragon boat is burned as an offering to the deities during the Whale Worship Festival. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen

Historical records indicate that Con Temple received royal recognition and patronage under the feudal state, with official restoration and ceremonial rites dating back to the reign of King Tran Anh Tong (1312). The festival has since been preserved and practiced continuously for more than 800 years.

The sacred palanquin is tossed during the chay oi ritual at the Con Temple Festival. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen
The chay oi ritual, a distinctive performance held annually at the Con Temple Festival. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen

The festival lasts for an entire month, beginning in the twelfth lunar month of the preceding year and concluding in the first lunar month of the new year. Traditional games and performances reflect the occupational life of coastal communities while serving as living reenactments of history. These folk performances recall the Tran Dynasty’s resistance to Mongol invasions and its southern military campaigns against Champa.

The Den Con Festival is likened to a living museum, where core cultural values and national identity are preserved. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen
The Con Temple Festival, rooted in the worship of the Sea Deity, reflects the distinctive spiritual culture of coastal Nghe An. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen

Through the Con Temple Festival, visitors gain insight into the worldview and belief systems of ancient folk communities. The festival originated from the worship of water deities, a belief closely tied to the lives of coastal residents whose livelihoods depended on fishing and maritime activities. This system of water deity worship, rooted in Vietnam’s agrarian civilization, reflects the deep-seated aspirations of seafaring communities for protection and safety when venturing out to sea.

The Den Con Festival is likened to a living museum, where core cultural values and national identity are preserved. Photo: Tran Nhan Quyen

The Con Temple Festival not only showcases the richness of the local community’s spiritual and cultural life but also offers a vivid reflection of Vietnam’s traditional intellectual and cultural history. 

By Tran Nhan Quyen Translated by Nguyen Tuoi


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