The 2025 Grand Festival of Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung, the most important annual celebration of the Cao Dai religion, will take place on October 6 (the Mid-Autumn Full Moon) at the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh.

This is the largest spiritual event of the year for Cao Dai followers, expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees and visitors from across Vietnam.

This year’s festival carries special meaning as the Cao Dai religion approaches its centennial anniversary in 2026. In November 2024, tens of thousands of followers gathered at the Holy See to commemorate 100 years of the faith’s establishment.

Sacred rituals and grand performances

Preparations for the festival began in September. Hundreds of tents, temporary resting areas, and communal kitchens have been set up on the Holy See’s grounds to accommodate the large influx of pilgrims.

On October 6, the program will start at midnight with the Tieu Dan offering ceremony at the inner court of the Holy See. At noon, the grand Mother Goddess altar ceremony will take place - one of the most solemn rituals of the event.

At 6:30 p.m., the central courtyard will host an artistic performance with light effects featuring the four sacred animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, and Phoenix. The main ceremony will be conducted at 10 p.m.

Alongside traditional rituals, the festival will feature Phoenix dances, processions of offerings, marching bands, displays of ceremonial items, and cultural exchanges among Cao Dai parishes. The entire event will be held in a solemn yet vibrant atmosphere, reflecting the unique spiritual identity of the Cao Dai religion.

A century-old tradition of reverence

The Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung festival was first held on the Mid-Autumn Full Moon of 1925, inspired by the story of Emperor Wu of Han inviting the Holy Mother Goddess. Since then, it has become a traditional spiritual practice, expressing devotion to the Mother Goddess – revered in Cao Dai belief as the Mother of all souls.

The Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh was constructed between 1933 and 1955. Its architecture blends Eastern and Western styles, with the Divine Eye (the radiant all-seeing eye) as its most sacred symbol. The Holy See’s inner compound spans more than one square kilometer, making it the largest religious center of the Cao Dai faith.

Founded in southern Vietnam in 1926, Cao Dai – officially known as Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do – integrates teachings from major world religions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Christianity. Its doctrines emphasize compassion, harmony, and service to humanity, with love as the foundation for a peaceful and moral society.

Today, Cao Dai has about 2.4 million followers and is one of 16 religions recognized by the Vietnamese government. The Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh alone counts over one million adherents, with an extensive network of parishes nationwide.

For followers, the annual Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung is not only a time to honor the Mother Goddess but also a cultural and spiritual event that strengthens community bonds and preserves Vietnam’s religious traditions.

Nguyen Hue