An anti-corruption festival held annually in Haiphong City has just been listed as national cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien presented national cultural heritage title to the Minh The Festival on March 1

The title was given to Minh The Festival during its opening ceremony on Thursday morning by the minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien.

The anti-corruption festival, originally initiated by Queen Mother Vu Thi Ngoc Toan, wife of King Mac Dang Dung, dates back to the 16th century and still is organised on annually basis between January 14 and 16 of the lunar year at Hoa Lieu Pagoda in Kien Thuy District's Thuan Thien Commune.

The queen mother established Hoa Lieu Hamlet. She used her own money as well as funds collected from her family and mandarins under the Mac Dynasty to restore an old pagoda known as Hoa Lieu Pagoda.

She, along with local residents, created the Minh the festival as well as an oath that local officials took, and continue to take, which binds them to the promise that they should work for the public good and not their personal gain. Participants swear to be honest, upright and incorruptible

On the main day of the festival, January 14 on the lunar calendar, residents set up a platform in front of Hoa Lieu pagoda along with the hat of the tutelary god of the village, which is placed on top of the platform, while attendees sit behind. 

The oath-taking ceremony starts after solemn rites are conducted by the festival master, an elderly person with a happy family and obedient children and grandchildren.

The festival master uses a holy knife to slaughter a chicken, whose of blood is equally divided into small cups of alcohol. Those who intend to take the oath then drink from the cups. 

They repeat the oath, which goes, "Let those of us who use public assets and funding for public causes be supported by the gods, but those who use public assets and funds for private purposes be beaten to death. Those who are unfaithful subordinates and who are disobedient children be annihilated by the gods.” 

The festival was suspended from 1945 due to wars and was then resumed in 2002.

Do Xuan Trinh, Vice Chairman of Kien Thuy District People’s Committee, said, “The festival is organised with an aim of combining traditional beliefs with a dedication to civic responsibility and duty.”

Dtinews