The 13th Tran Van Giau Science Award 2025: Honoring research on indigenous religions in the South

Comrade Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Ngo Van Le presented the awards to the two authors.

The publication, published by the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, is considered a scientific work of high academic and practical value. The research content clarifies the appearance of two typical endogenous religions in the South - Buu Son Ky Huong and Tu An Dao Phat - which have a profound role in the cultural and spiritual life of the people, but have not been systematically studied before.

According to the Tran Van Giau Award Committee, the work not only contributes to supplementing knowledge about the history of ideology, beliefs and culture of the Southwest region but also has important reference value in planning religious and belief policies in the context of rapid development in the Southern region in particular and the whole country in general.

Notably, this is the first work in the field of History of Thought to be awarded this prize since the Tran Van Giau Science Prize was established 23 years ago.

The 728-page publication is divided into three main parts: General issues; Buu Son Ky Huong Religion; and Tu An Buddhism Religion. From the journey of reclaiming and establishing a career of Vietnamese migrants in the Southern region to the formation and development of indigenous religions, the work has illuminated the interaction between religion and the life, culture, and society of residents in the Southwest region.

The book provides more general and useful information about two typical religions in the Southwest region.

The study of these two endogenous religions in the context of diverse beliefs in the region has contributed to explaining many issues of national culture, ethnic psychology and the history of Southern ideology. Thereby, the work not only has academic significance but also provides an important source of documents for state management of religion, especially for religions in the process of completing legal documents.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Associate Professor, Dr. Vo Van Thang shared: "The Tran Van Giau Science Award is a valuable recognition not only for individuals but also for the collective efforts in discovering and spreading the unique ideological and cultural values of the Southern region."

He said the project is the result of a long research process, starting from the topic of the Four Graces of Buddhism, with the desire to contribute to preserving and promoting values imbued with Southern identity.

QUYNH YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/giai-thuong-khoa-hoc-tran-van-giau-lan-thu-13-nam-2025-vinh-danh-cong-trinh-nghien-cuu-ton-giao-ban-dia-nam-bo-post815335.html