THANH LIET TEMPLE - HUNG LAM COMMUNE

Thanh Liet temple in Hung Lam commune, Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province - A historic architectural and artistic relic ranked at the national level by Ministry of Culture in 1997.

According to legend in the Lam riverside area, Thanh Liet temple was built at the end of the post-Le dynasty to worship the saints such as Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon, Nguyen Bieu, Long Vuong, Princess Lieu Hanh, Son Lieu Doc Cuoc...

On 1st February of the lunar calendar, village's ceremonial committee performs a ritual at the temple to ask for a command from the gods about the organization of the upcoming festival, such as: preparing the usual festival schedule, specific requirements (offering to the god a dragon boat or a fish "three heads nine tails", allowing racing. Accordingly, the village will assign people to make these special offerings with their own hands.

 To prepare for the procession and sacrifice on the river, villagers will select 24 young men and women in good health, unmarried without mourning and women not in menstrual period  in the village to participate in two swimming boats. In addition, each boat also selects 3 more experienced people on the river, responsible for commanding and driving the boat according to the correct route. Boats operated by 2-3 families with large boats voluntarily put into service for the ceremony.

Thanh Liet temple festival helps to satisfy the spiritual needs of the people, passing on the customs and habits of the ancestors to the next generation. The festival is characterized by river and water, which preserves the belief of worshiping the water god and reflects the professional thinking of the people in the lower region of Lam River. Thanh Liet Temple Festival is one of the few traditional festivals of Nghe An that has not been affected much by the administrativeization of the festival or introduction of changes in traditional rituals and ceremonies. The festival contributes to forging the community spirit, creating the vitality of the village, maintaining stability for the whole community, aiming to adjust individual behavior and community relationships within the village..

With the above values, Thanh Liet Temple Festival was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage on 27th September 2018 by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under Decision No. 3609/QD-BVHTTDL.