Xa Tac worship ritual re-enacted in Hue Citadel
Thứ Tư, 13/03/2019, 14:16
PSNews - Le Te Xa Tac (or Xa Tac Worship Ceremony) was held in Thua Thien Hue Province on March 13 to pray for for peace and good harvest.
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| The ritual, ‘Le Te Xa Tac’ (Worshipping the Genies of Earth and Crop), is one of the most important rituals once performed by kings under successive feudal dynasties including Ly, Tran and Nguyen in prayer for peace and good harvest. |
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| The ceremony used to be a national celebration under the Nguyen dynasty in the former royal capital city of Hue, and has been re-enacted since 2008. This year's event was held in the early morning of March 12, considered the best time to conduct the most important parts of the ritual. |
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| All worship rituals were included in the event, such as a royal procession of elephants and horses, and a worship ceremony, attended by leaders of sectors and branches of the province and an even larger number of visitors. |
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| The Xa Tac Esplanade, built in 1806 under the reign of King Gia Long, is one of several important relics in Hue. Hue is currently the only city where the Xa Tac ritual and related documents are preserved. |
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| The ritual was revived in 2008 and has been held in spring every year since as part of efforts to preserve and promote traditional cultural values in modern life. |
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| Performers are re-enacting Le Te Xa Tac. |
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| The Xa Tac Worship Ceremony is held every year to not only restore and preserve the traditional and spiritual rituals of Hue, but also to promote the culture of wet rice civilisation particularly in Vietnam. |
By Thien Minh
