On the morning of October 30th (September 10th in the year of the Snake), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized the opening ceremony of the Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival 2025 in Vu Tien commune

Comrades Tran Quoc Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Khac Than, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and delegates attended the opening ceremony of the Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival 2025.

Attending the opening ceremony were: Tran Quoc Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Khac Than, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Venerable Thich Thanh Duc, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Buddhist Association; members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee; leaders of the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee; and leaders of departments, agencies, and localities.

Comrades Tran Quoc Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Khac Than, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and other delegates performed the incense offering ceremony.

Keo Pagoda, also known as Than Quang Pagoda, located in Vu Tien commune, is one of the six special national relics of Hung Yen province. According to historical records: In 1061, during the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong, Zen Master Duong Khong Lo built Nghiem Quang Pagoda as a place of refuge, preaching and teaching, protecting the nation and ensuring peace for the people. The Zen Master cured King Ly Thanh Tong of his illness, so the king graciously bestowed upon him the title of National Master of the Ly Dynasty. In the year Giap Tuat (1094), during the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong, the Venerable Master Duong Khong Lo passed away at the age of 79. In 1167, King Ly Anh Tong issued a decree changing the name of Nghiem Quang Pagoda to Than Quang Pagoda to commemorate and express gratitude for the Zen Master's merits.

In 1611, a great flood swept away and destroyed the temple. After 19 years of preparation and 28 months of construction, the Keo Pagoda and Than Quang Temple, with their unique architectural style of "inner courtyard, outer walls," featuring Buddha in the front and saints in the back, were completed in November 1632. Currently, the pagoda complex consists of 17 structures with 128 rooms. In 2017, the traditional Keo Pagoda festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. In 2021, the altar of Keo Pagoda was recognized as a national treasure.

Comrade Tran Quoc Toan, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, presented flowers to offer congratulations.

Venerable Thich Thanh Hoa, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of the province, presented flowers to offer congratulations.

Comrade Nguyen Khac Than, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, beat the drum to officially open the Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival 2025.

At the opening ceremony, after the incense offering ritual, Comrade Tran Quoc Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, presented flowers to congratulate the event; Comrade Nguyen Khac Than, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, beat the traditional drum to officially open the festival.

Comrade Do Huu Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, delivered the opening speech at the festival.

The opening ceremony's art program consists of three parts: The Divine Light, Echoes of a Thousand Years, and Hung Yen: A Flow of Heritage. The meticulously staged and unique performances recreate and spread the ethics and wisdom of Zen Master Duong Khong Lo, the founder of Keo Pagoda, transmitting compassion and a belief in goodness to all people, along with the heritage values ​​of Keo Pagoda and the distinctive culture of this land, connecting the past with the present, affirming the enduring vitality of Hung Yen culture that continues to shine in the new era.

Artistic program to celebrate the opening ceremony of Keo Pagoda in the autumn of 2025.

In 2025, the Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival, on a provincial scale, will take place from October 30th to November 4th (September 10th to 15th in the year of the Snake) with many traditional rituals such as: the opening ceremony, the procession of the Holy Saint, puppet shows, frog dances, rowing boats to worship the Saint, religious ceremonies by the people and Buddhist followers, along with cultural, artistic, sports, and folk games such as: boat trips, singing and dancing exchanges between rowing clubs, lantern festival, betel nut preparation, and an exhibition of Keo Pagoda art photography...

The Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival creates a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, encouraging and motivating all sectors of the population to strive in labor, training, and production, successfully achieving the goals set forth in the Resolution of the First Congress of the Hung Yen Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030.

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