Fortune Wishing Ceremony (Đại lễ Kỳ Yên) at Phu Nhuan shrine

Although it’s a pity that not all of us can get to visit the shrines and join the festivals, we can always have a look through the pictures on the website.

Bài viết có phiên bản [tiếng Việt].

Photo by Tran Duy

And so the calendar for this month is slowly coming to an end, festivals are gradually passing through just like the rona. Although it’s a pity that not all of us can get to visit the shrines and join the festivals, we can always have a look through the pictures on the page! Introducing to you the Fortune Wishing Ceremony (Đại lễ Kỳ Yên) at Phu Nhuan shrine (District Phú Nhuận, Ho Chi Minh city). This is one of the most famous shrines due to its extravagant events, attracting many locals to attend for many nights, especially when they would always host Hát Bội (Vietnamese traditional opera). Introducing to you the Fortune Wishing Ceremony (Đại lễ Kỳ Yên) at Phu Nhuan shrine (District Phú Nhuận, Ho Chi Minh city). This is one of the most famous shrines due to its extravagant events, attracting many locals to attend for many nights, especially when they would always host Hát Bội (Vietnamese traditional opera).

Photo by Tran Duy

In the spiritual life of the Viet folk culture, the shrine is a vital place to worship the Nature Gods (the gods who represent the natural elements) and the Prosperity Gods (the gods to protect the livinghood of men). Shrines still exist in the spiritual practice in small villages and rural areas, however it’s been evolving and adapting into a more orthodox practice under the royal monarchy, making it a unique fusion between the warm and welcoming folk traditions and the ceremonious and formal royal customs. Whether it’s “royal” or “folk”, shrines still hold an essential function in protecting the wealth and peace for the people in the area where the shrine’s deity is guarding. Aside from that, the shrine is also a space of practice and conserve the intangible values that bridges the past and present, where traditional performances also play a role.

Photo by Tran Duy

Fortune Wishing Ceremony has always been a crucial ritual in these spaces. The nature of this ceremony is like its name- To express the religious devotion to the gods, mostly to thần Thành hoàng (a deity that is enshrined in each village), wishing for prosperity and blessings on the land. The Fortune Wishing Ceremony is a combination of many worshiping aspects and traditional art performances.

Photo by Tran Duy

Phu Nhuan shrine is located in 18 Mai Van Ngoc street, ward 10, Phu Nhuan district. It was built in 1818 in Kinh village, right next to Nhieu Loc stream, until 1852 it was then moved to the current location. On the 8th January 1853 , Emperor Tự Đức has granted Phu Nhuan’s shrine thần Thành hoàng (a deity that is enshrined in each village), making this shrine official under the monarchy. The shrine has gone through multiple renovations in the year of 1930, 1966, 1989, and 1998, but it still poses the distinctive details of ancient Northern architecture in the 19th century. Phu Nhuan shrine was granted as a national architectural site by the Department of Culture and Information following the Order no. 3744/QĐ-VHTT on 29th of January 1998 (taken from “Hành trình di sản văn hóa TP.HCM – NXB Thông Tấn – July 2011).

Photo by Tran Duy

The biggest event of Phu Nhuan shrine is the Fortune Wishing Ceremony that occurs from the 16-18 of The First Month (Lunar Calendar). The 16th of The First Lunar Month is the opening day for The Grand Ceremony by the Temple Caretaker and the Hát Bội (Vietnamese traditional opera) troupe to host. After this event, people from all corners can come to enjoy the festive acts. On the night of 18th of The First Lunar Month, the troupe will perform the classical play “Pathway to San Hậu” and end the ceremony with the Emperor Honoring Ceremony (lễ Tôn Vương).

To view the photo album please visit Cultura Fish library.