On the morning of February 9, despite the cold weather in Bac Giang, tens of thousands of locals and tourists gathered at the central square to attend the opening ceremony of the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival and Bac Giang’s Culture & Tourism Week.

The festival committee organized the procession of the Tam To Truc Lam ancestral tablets from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (Bac Giang City) to Ha Pagoda, part of the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourist area (Son Dong District).

The procession consisted of 51 vehicles - matching the age of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong - carrying festival banners, Buddhist flags, ceremonial offerings, the ancestral tablets of Tam To Truc Lam, and a delegation of monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers. The event followed strict Buddhist ceremonial traditions, ensuring a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, considered the founding site of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, is an architectural masterpiece of Vietnamese Buddhist heritage. With its grand structure and historical significance, it is recognized as a Special National Relic and regarded as Vietnam’s first Buddhist university.

The procession of the Tam To Truc Lam ancestral tablets to Ha Pagoda in Tay Yen Tu symbolizes a spring pilgrimage to the sacred land, carrying prayers for prosperity, peace, and a blessed new year.

Tens of thousands participate in grand festival

Later that morning, at the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourist area (Son Dong District), the People’s Committee of Bac Giang Province officially inaugurated Bac Giang’s Culture & Tourism Week and the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival 2025 under the theme "Sacred Tay Yen Tu."

Despite the cold weather, tens of thousands of attendees gathered at the central square to witness the opening ceremony.

Mai Son, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang People’s Committee, highlighted that this year’s festival features 13 main activities, including:

The procession of the Tam To Truc Lam ancestral tablets

The "Journey Following the Footsteps of King Tran Nhan Tong" bicycle race

The "Opening of the Forest" festival in Huong Son (Lang Giang District)

The Sloong Hao folk singing festival in Tan Son (Luc Ngan District)

The Tam Phu Mother Goddess Worship Festival at Suoi Mo Temple (Luc Nam District)

During the festival’s opening ceremony, visitors enjoyed a 45-minute musical performance titled "Sacred Tay Yen Tu," divided into three segments:

Legends of the Sacred Land – The Origins of Truc Lam Buddhism

Bac Giang – A Land of Cultural Heritage

Bac Giang – A Land of Potential and Radiance

Artists performed traditional and contemporary musical pieces, including The Spiritual Path, King Tran Nhan Tong’s Dharma Legacy in Vietnam, On the Misty Peak, Love by the Mountains and Forests, and The Vibrant Spring of Tay Yen Tu.

Grand rituals and cultural celebrations

During the ceremony, Nguyen Van Gau, Secretary of Bac Giang Province’s Party Committee, struck the festival’s ceremonial drum to officially open the 2025 Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival.

The festival grounds hosted a variety of elaborate performances, exhibitions, and interactive activities, drawing thousands of participants.

By midday, the number of visitors to Tay Yen Tu continued to grow, with long lines forming at the sacred amulet distribution area, as attendees eagerly awaited their turn to receive blessings and symbolic offerings.

Bac Giang’s Culture & Tourism Week 2025 runs from February 8–13 (the 11th to 16th day of the Lunar New Year) across multiple locations, including Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourist area, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Suoi Mo tourism area, and various local cultural sites throughout the province.