HÀ NỘI — The worship of Tản Viên (the God of the Mountain), one of the Four Immortals in Vietnamese faith, will be officially recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.

A ceremony to receive the certificate from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will take place on February 25, on the occasion of the festival dedicated to the God.

The festival will be organised at a complex of Hạ (Low), Trung (Middle) and Thượng (Upper) temples in Ba Vì District on the outskirts of Hà Nội from February 23-25.

The annual festival attracts thousands of visitors from all regions of the country. Besides a traditional ritual and an incense offering ceremony held at the temples, many folk games, sports and performances are organised. It also kicks off the year for Ba Vì District Tourism with the theme of "Cultural Rendezvous".

According to the legend in the northern delta, Tản Viên, also called Sơn Tinh, was the God of the Mountain and governed all creatures on land. He taught people to grow crops, hunt animals, catch fish, practise martial arts and hold festivals. Opposite Sơn Tinh was Thủy Tinh, the God of the Sea, responsible for the rising water levels that damaged crops, destroyed animals and drowned people. Sơn Tinh beat Thủy Tinh in a competition to win the heart of Princess Mỵ Nương who was the daughter of the King Hùng XVIII.

Spiritual: The worship of Tản Viên (the God of the Mountain), one of the Four Immortals of Vietnamese faith, will be officially recognised as national intangible cultural heritage. — Photo hanoimoi.vn

Nguyễn Đức Nghĩa, head of the Culture and Information Bureau (under the Ba Vì District People’s Committee) said Tản Viên is the god of the Vietnamese people that embodies the aspiration to triumph over natural disasters, especially floods.

“The God of the Mountain is worshipped in many localities in the northern region in general and in Ba Vì District in particular,” he said.

“When the worship of Tản Viên God is honoured as the national heritage, we expect that all values of traditional culture and people’s belief will be preserved.”

“The recognition will help preserve the festival’s operation and upgrade it to a regional level. It’s also a chance to develop the local tourism.”

In Vietnamese folklore, Tản Viên is one of the four immortals, along with Chử Đồng Tử, who taught the people to catch fish and grow crops; Saint Gióng, who beat foreign invaders to protect his homeland; and Goddess Liễu Hạnh, the deity of the Mother Goddess worship. — VNS