Scene at the event (Photo: tuoitre.vn)Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) – A ceremony to plant Neu (a tall bamboo polewith red garment strips used to ward off evil spirits during the lunar New Year)was reenacted at the Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of ThuaThien-Hue’s Hue City on January 28.
At the event, a 15-metre bamboo pole was carried by a groupof 10 men dressed as soldiers under the Nguyen Dynasty in a procession from theHien Nhon Gate through the Thai Hoa Palace to arrive at the Ancestral Temple,where it was erected. The ritual was held in the sound of ‘nha nhac cung dinh’(royal court music).
The same day, similar ceremonies also took place at the Templeof Original Ancestor and Long An Palace within the city’s Complex of HueMonuments.
The erection of the Neu on the 23rd day of the 12th lunarmonth marks the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the KitchenGods are believed to ride a carp to the Heaven to report on events from thepast year.
During 143 years of its reign (1802 – 1945), the NguyenDynasty held an annual ceremony to plant the Neu at the Imperial Citadel. Thepole carries ritual items on its top, like a royal seal, a paper scroll andpen, which imply that the royal court stopped working during Tet. After theceremony, ordinary people would erect their own Neu and start celebrating Tet.
The Neu is also believed to ward off ghosts and demons fromentering the community during Tet. It would also direct ancestors seeking thepath home for the lunar New Year holiday. The custom is also practised in someAsian countries besides Vietnam.
It will be taken down on the seventh day of the first lunarmonth to mark the end of the Tet celebration.
Also on January 28, the 23rd day of the 12th month of the Year of the Dog, the Hue Relics Preservation Centre started a Tetprogramme which treats visitors to royal court and folk games, calligraphyperformances, dragon dance, and a contest on making traditional Tet food.-VNA
VNA
