Calendar distribution ceremony enacted in Thua Thien-Hue
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The ceremony, was normally held on the first day of the last lunar month during Nguyen Dynasty, was re-enacted on January 1st at Ngo Mon Gate of Hue Imperial Citadel.
The ceremony, as known as Ban Soc ceremony, aims to distribute calendars for royal mandarins during Nguyen Dynasty.
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It is said that, during feudal era, Vietnamese people mostly lived on agriculture. Calendar, therefore, was important for them to calculate days for cultivation.
The first grand calendar distribution ceremony was held in the beginning of Minh Mang King’s reign.
The ceremony had been held in Thai Hoa Palace Court to distribute calendars for royal mandarins. Ordinary people received calendar in their localities.
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Until 1841, King Minh Mang decided to organized it at Ngo Mon Gate so that the ceremony could be closer to ordinary people.
The reenactment of Ban Soc ceremony in Hue Imperial Citadel attracted a huge number of tourists. It also provided tourists and the locals with understanding about the Nguyen Dynasty and about Hue's culture.
