Tens of thousands of visitors and local residents joined Cao Dai followers at the “Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung”, the biggest festival of the Cao Dai sect, in the southern province of Tay Ninh on September 17 night.
The festival is a major great religious banquet for the Great Mother and nine female immortals of the Dieu Tri (Jasper Pond) Palace held annually on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Cardinal Thuong Tam Thanh, head of the Executive Council of the Cao Dai Church in Tay Ninh, thanked the Party and State for creating favourable conditions for Cao Dai followers to practise their belief and live a happy and peaceful life.
He noted that over the past year, Cao Dai dignitaries and followers have seriously practised their religion, acted in compliance with the law, actively joined charity activities, and built a civilised lifestyle in residential areas.
Since the beginning of this year, the church has raised over 5 billion VND (202,600 USD) for social welfare activities.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Thanh emphasised that the festival is not only a significant event for the Cao Dai religion but has long become a unique cultural festival for the people of Tay Ninh. He expressed his hope that the Cao Dai Church will continue to preserve and promote this vibrant festival in the years to come.
With the main activities including a procession, a five-fruit banquet offering, and prayer, this year, followers displayed 118 booths of fruits, confectionery, musical instruments, and decorations, among others, to reenact the tales of the goddesses./.
