A water procession ceremony is held at the Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc Spring Festival in Hải Dương Province. VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Minh

HẢI DƯƠNG — Thousands of visitors have flocked to the northern province of Hải Dương to attend the Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc Spring Festival 2024 being held at Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc Special National Relic Site in Chí Linh City.

This year, the festival takes place to commemorate the 690th death anniversary of Huyền Quang (1334 - 2024), the third progenitor of the Trúc Lâm Zen Buddhism sect.

Various cultural and spiritual activities including a water procession ceremony, a sacrifice ceremony on Ngũ Nhạc mountain, a food contest featuring the making of local handmade cakes, and some folk games and traditional sports are being held at the festival.

In particular, at an opening ceremony on Monday, the provincial authorities announced the Prime Minister's decision to recognise a set of three Buddha statues at Côn Sơn Pagoda as a national treasure.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hải Dương,Triệu Thế Hùng, said that Côn Sơn has become one of the major Buddhism centres of the Vietnamese Trúc Lâm Zen Buddhism sect since the 14th century.

The Trúc Lâm Zen sect contributed to empowering the Đại Việt army and people in maintaining independence and sovereignty against foreign invaders.

Every Spring, Côn Sơn Pagoda receives a large number of visitors and compatriots from across the country and abroad who come to celebrate, light incense to commemorate the founder Zen Master Huyền Quang and enjoy the beautiful landscape.

Huyền Quang, whose real name was Lý Đạo Tái, was born in 1254, originally from Vạn Tư village, now in Thái Bảo Commune, Gia Bình District in the northern province of Bắc Ninh. He was a talented intellectual and famous for his poetry and literature. He obtained his doctorate at the age of 21, and then followed Buddhism. Together with Monk King Trần Nhân Tông, he wrote Buddhism scriptures, popularised Buddhism across the country and became the third progenitor of the Trúc Lâm Zen sect. He spent his last days and died at Côn Sơn Pagoda.

Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012. In 2013, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named the Spring Festival in Côn Sơn Pagoda and the Autumn Festival in Kiếp Bạc Temple as national intangible cultural heritages.

Currently, Hải Dương, Quảng Ninh and Bắc Giang provinces are working together to promote the value of the Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc special national relic site, and finalising dossiers for the Yên Tử-Vĩnh Nghiêm-Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc landscape and relic complex to seek UNESCO recognition as a world heritage site. VNS