Cultural beauty of Keo village

Saturday, October 12, 2024 | 09:09:42

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Keo village is the affectionate name that people often call Dung Nhue village in the past, now consisting of 3 hamlets Hanh Dung Nghia, Dung Nghia, Dung Nhue in Duy Nhat commune (Vu Thu). People of Keo village not only contribute significantly to preserving and conserving the special national relic Keo pagoda to become a spiritual and cultural destination, attracting tourists from all over the world, but also are active factors in creating, practicing and directly enjoying traditional cultural values in the festival that has become "spring and autumn" here.

The procession of the Saint in the Keo Pagoda festival in the fall with the participation of the elders and the next generation of Keo village.

During the Keo Pagoda Festival in the fall, the life and deeds of the Holy Father Duong Khong Lo are reenacted as a historical performance, preserving many religious rituals but imbued with the nuances of folk cultural activities, including frog dancing and rowing. In recent years, the people of Keo village have not only performed traditional dances in the procession of the Holy Father at the relic but also reenacted them on the opening stage of the traditional festival and performed them at the cultural, sports and tourism festival of the province to promote the unique cultural features of their homeland.

As one of the elders of Keo village, for many years, Mr. Hoang The Dong, the Keo Pagoda Festival Organizing Committee, has participated in the traditional rituals of the festival. According to Mr. Dong, the most precious thing is the opening ceremony of the temple, the procession of the Saint is still strictly maintained according to the old custom, keeping the original, not mixed. The descendants of Keo village, generation after generation, join hands to preserve the unique features of the festival. Mr. Dong shared: The preparation work alone takes place for a whole month to ensure that everything is complete, neat and perfect. From the people participating in the palanquin procession, the children rowing boats to the elders in yellow shirts, although they have participated in the traditional festival for many years, before the spring and autumn festivals, they all have to practice how to walk, line up and how to hold weapons evenly, beautifully and precisely. The people wholeheartedly spend time and effort on the preparation so that all the ritual activities in the festival are solemn and show respect.

Over 70 years old, for more than 10 years now, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tham has participated in the procession at Keo Pagoda festival. She said: When visitors come to Keo Pagoda on the main autumn festival day, they are very impressed with the procession, take beautiful pictures and learn and talk with local people about the meaning of this activity. People in Keo village like us wish to go to the procession of Duc Thanh every year, to show our gratitude to our ancestors and pray for all good things. In the procession, there is a group of shepherd children representing buffalo herders. Before participating in the procession, they were taught about the traditional customs of the village by their grandparents. Up to now, in Keo village, the previous generation has passed it on to the next generation.

Not only in festival activities, the enthusiasm and hospitality of Keo villagers have created a good impression in the hearts of tourists from all over the world when they come to offer incense, attend festivals and visit the pagoda. Mr. Nguyen Phuc Tho, a tourist from Hanoi city shared: I have come to offer incense at Keo pagoda many times, every year on the occasion of the spring festival and the 9th lunar month. I am very proud of the ancient pagoda of Thai Binh , I introduce it to my friends and personally go with many groups of tourists to introduce this ancient structure with a special bell tower. What is precious is that every time I come to Keo pagoda, on the main festival day or on a normal day, I have the opportunity to chat with the gentle people and easily find for myself local gifts such as red peanuts and sticky rice, which are products of Keo village, souvenirs of each trip.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy, a tourist from Hai Phong city, said: The first time I visited Keo Pagoda following the information introduced on the media channels, I was impressed by the enthusiastic and detailed introduction by the tour guide at the relic, helping me understand more about the history and ancient architecture of Keo Pagoda. The beautiful and poetic scenery and airy space make people feel more peaceful when returning to the sacred place.

The role of the people as the main subject is always an extremely important factor and is affirmed through each Keo Pagoda festival season. From the stage of organizing and practicing traditional rituals to the enthusiastic participation in festival activities and the friendliness and civility in reception have left a good impression in the hearts of visitors from all over the world... Because of the main role of the people, the quintessence of cultural heritage imbued with national identity is preserved, passed on and promoted.

Thanh Hang

Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/19/209827/net-dep-van-hoa-lang-keo