A festival featuring the worship of Mother Goddesses will bring many folk artists from across the nation to Hanoi on November 9-13.

Performers will present trance performance to pay tribute to 50 genies worshipped by the Mother Goddesses beliefs. 

The Thăng Long Cultural Heritage Association will organise the festival at Rừng Temple, Long Biên District.

Twenty nine mediums and cung văn (performers in spiritual rites) will present a trance performance to pay tribute to 50 genies worshipped as part of the Mother Goddesses beliefs. In Việt Nam’s Mother Goddess worshipping practice, there are Four Palaces including Nhạc Phủ (Forest), Thiên Phủ (Heaven), Thủy Phủ (Water) and Địa Phủ (Earth).

With the participation of artist troupes, the event is expected to help promote unique indigenous culture and practices.

Within the framework of the festival, the Việt Nam Music Development Centre will host a workshop on preserving and promoting Mother Goddess worshipping at the Hào Nam Temple, Hào Nam Street, Hà Nội, on November 16.

Việt Nam’s tradition of worshipping Mother Goddesses was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UN cultural agency UNESCO last year. — VNS