The majestic and sacred Tay Thien

Vinh Phuc is an ancient land with a very important geopolitical and cultural position throughout the process of formation and development of the nation. The people of Vinh Phuc have created a treasure trove of diverse cultural heritages of many types, with great value in many aspects, contributing to the creation of Vietnamese cultural identity, of which the most typical is the complex of historical relics and scenic spots of Tay Thien.

On December 23, 2015, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 2367/QD-TTg to rank the Tay Thien Historical Relic and Scenic Landscape in Dai Dinh Town, Tam Dao District as a special national relic. Then, on January 14, 2020, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed Decision No. 176/QD-BVHTTDL to recognize the worship of Mother Goddess Tay Thien, Tam Dao District, Vinh Phuc Province as a national intangible cultural heritage. These two special cultural heritages are not only a source of honor and pride for the people of Vinh Phuc Province but also make Tay Thien a leading cultural, religious, and tourist center in Vietnam.

Tay Thien is located in the valley of the Tam Dao mountain range, with an altitude of 54m to 1,100m above sea level, with a distribution area of about 11km2 (11km long, 1km wide). This place converges all the natural components and elements such as trees, streams, waterfalls, landscapes, rare and endemic animals that are still of great value and have their own unique characteristics, contributing to the charm and uniqueness of the Tay Thien mountain forest area.

Tay Thien is not only a natural scenic ecological area, but this place is also associated with the first steps of the Vietnamese people on the path to exploit the delta region. Tay Thien is also a bright spot of the beginning of the fusion between Buddhism with its primitive intellectual elements and folk beliefs through the cultural hero (from prehistoric times) the Holy Mother Lang Thi Tieu, along with the accretion of history and a number of other beliefs in the process of social development, woven into one of the typical colorful symphonic epics of Vietnamese cultural heritage.

In Tay Thien, the worship of Mother Goddess and Buddhism blend together to create a pure and sacred atmosphere that is rarely found anywhere else. Therefore, pilgrims who come here always believe that their wishes will be realized and come true. The worship of Mother Goddess is widespread in the villages of Vinh Phuc with 50 relics. Dai Dinh town alone has 5 sacred places to worship the Mother Goddess. Every year, thousands of tourists do not mind the long distance, crossing mountains and climbing passes to offer incense to the Mother Goddess in the hope of receiving the protection of the Mother Goddess of Tay Thien.

The worship of Mother Goddess Tay Thien is practiced by people through rituals and festivals at the relics worshiping Mother Goddess Tay Thien, the most typical of which is the Tay Thien festival held from the 14th to the 17th of the second lunar month. The main festival on the 15th of the second lunar month performs the following rituals: Sacrificial ceremony - procession ceremony - incense offering ceremony so that people can come to Tay Thien to worship Buddha and Mother Goddess and feel the merit of Mother Goddess towards their homeland and country.

As a special national relic, in recent years, the historical relic and scenic spot of Tay Thien has received priority capital and investment from the province and district for restoration and embellishment; construction and upgrading of infrastructure and technical facilities of the festival cultural center with a system of roads, bridges and dams across streams, telecommunications, lighting; wastewater treatment and drainage, solid waste collection; passenger transport system by cable car, electric car, security camera system, fire prevention and fighting; parking lot, food service points, green parks... Along with that, Tam Dao district has deployed the collection, research, inventory, and establishment of intangible cultural heritage records, gradually restoring rituals and festivals related to the worship of the Mother Goddess of Tay Thien.

In the days of spring, before the Tay Thien festival, visitors come to Tay Thien, thinking about Tay Thien and feeling this place - a piece of Heavenly Heaven descended to earth, all the praises are only to talk about the image but not enough to say about the body of heaven and earth that the ancients left behind. The spiritual beauty full of holiness that now gathers in the architectural works that have been built and interwoven over generations on the sacred land halfway up Thach Ban mountain, brings visitors on a pilgrimage to Tay Thien not only to return to Buddha, with a pure heart, on the path from life to religion, from the earthly world to the paradise, but to return to Tay Thien to feel the merit of the Mother Goddess towards the homeland, in a tolerant, holy consciousness to make a pilgrimage to the source.

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