Hai Thuong Lan Ong festival is annually held in the middle of the first lunar month. The event has become an annual tradition in the spiritual and cultural life of local people in Huong Son district in particular and Ha Tinh province in general in order to pay tribute great physician Lê Hữu Trác.
Lê Hữu Trác, also as known great physician Hải Thượng Lãn Ông (1720-1791), was born in in Yen My district, northern Hung Yen province and spent most of his life in Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province.
Lê Hữu Trác has found over 300 southern medicinal herbs and founded 2,854 medical remedies for curing common diseases. He was the author of a memorable work on traditional medicine known as “Hai Thuong y tong tam linh”, which has 28 chapters making up 66 volumes, has become a classic in the field, providing a valuable source of knowledge for later generations of herb doctors.
Especially, nine articles in his ‘Y Huan Cach Ngon’ (Instructions on medical ethics) have been adopted as the ethical guideline and principles for medicine practice for Vietnamese physicians.
According to the elders living in communes of Son Quang, Son Giang and Son Trung, the first Hai Thuong Lan Ong festival was held to commemorate the first death anniversary of Lê Hữu Trác. The festival aims to honor the great physician and pray for people’s good health and the country’s peace.
From 1985 to now, especially after Hai Thuong Lan Ong historical and cultural relic complex (including worshipping house, tomb, monument and Tuong Son pagoda) classified as national historical relics by the Ministry of Culture and Information, the festival has grown in both scale, contents and forms.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized Hai Thuong Lan Ong festival as a national intangible cultural heritage in October 2015.
The festival consists of worshipping and cultural activities. The main days of the festival are annual held on the 14th and 15th day of the first lunar month usually with incense offering ritual and procession at Le Huu Trac tomb and worshipping house, praying and candle lighting ceremonies to pray for peace and good health at Tuong Son pagoda,etc.
Besides traditional worshipping activities, the festival also features traditional art performances such as Sac Bua singing, Ho singng, Vi Giam folk songs, and folk games including lion dance, tug of war, chess competition, boat racing, etc attracting a large crowd of people.
The festival practically contributes to enhance solidarity and connection among some members of the family life at the districts and communes from Hung Yen province to Ha Tinh province. The festival also creates more educating environment for cadres working in the health sector and preserves the cultural traditions of the festival.
PH
