A festive season leaves many good impressions

Today (February 24) is the main holiday of the 2024 Thien Hau Lady temple festival. At its peak on February 23 and 24, departments and mass organizations of Thu Dau Mot city, localities and people with compassionate, friendly and hospitable heart have implemented many volunteer activities to serve free of charge for people and tourists participating in the festival. The beauty of this year's festive season will further leave a beautiful impression in the hearts of visitors about this land full of sentimental attachment.

Exciting volunteer activities

In recent days, many volunteer activities have been organized by departments, mass organizations and people to serve pilgrims who have flocked to Thu Dau Motcity to participate in festive activities at pagodas and temples. Especially, on the two peak days of February 23 and 24 (January 14 and 15 of lunar calendar), the local authorities have helped arrange convenient locations for organizations, businesses and people to participate in volunteer activities. Many stalls provide people and tourists with free food, drinks, cold towels, incense, fortune trees...

Youth Union members of Thu Dau Mot city serve pilgrims warmly

Accordingly, volunteer activities during this year's Thien Hau Lady temple festival are arranged in Phu Cuong park with 15 sites, the area around the Traditional House of Thu Dau Mot city with 10 sites, the area next to Nguyen Du Primary School with 10 sites and Nguyen Du park area with 5 sites. In addition, on February 24 (the 15th day of the first lunar month), many households and organizations also participate in volunteer work, distributing free food and drinking water to tourists and people on streets, namely Mang Thang Tam, Yersin, Hung Vuong, Thich Quang Duc...Along with volunteer activities, the Organization Board of the festival has arranged motorbike taxi groups to pick up pilgrims free of charge at 5 locations (next to Nguyen Du Primary School, intersections of Ngo Quyen - Cach Mang Thang Tam street, Pham Ngu Lao - Yersin street, Cach Mang Thang Tam street - Nguyen An Ninh street, Thich Quang Duc street- Phan Dinh Giot street) and arranged additional free public toilets at 2 sites next to Mang Non Kindergarten on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street to serve pilgrims.

Tran Bao Lam, Vice-Chairman of Thu Dau Mot city’s People's Committee, Head of the Organization Board of the 2024 Thien Hau Lady temple festival said that with the characteristic of "Free Festival" that is famous throughout the country, volunteer activities done by individuals and organizations have contributed to making the Thien Hau Lady temple festival has its own unique characteristics, leaving many positive impressions on people in and out of the province.

From the morning of February 23, right at the corner of Phu Cuong park along Cach Mang Thang Tam street, at the volunteer booth of Thu Dau Mot city’s Red Cross Society, volunteers in crimson shirts brought food, bottles of soy milk, cool herbal water...to visitors. All of them were happy to contribute to spreading the unique beauty of the Thien Hau Lady temple festival in Thu land- Binh Duong to everyone. Meanwhile, over the past few days, Phu Cuong ward’s Youth Union also deployed a volunteer squad to serve the the Thien Hau Lady temple festival at Nguyen Du park that is opposite Ba Thien Hau Temple in Phu Cuong ward. Youth Union members enthusiastically gave pilgrims lucky money trees and incense sticks so that when entering Thien Hau Lady temple, they would not have to spend money on buying them. After visiting the temple, pilgrims were offered bottles of cool drinking water…

Le Thi Binh, a pilgrim from Dong Nai province’s Bien Hoa city shared that she was very impressed by the festive space in this land. “I also attend festivals in many places, but the festival here is really different. There is no scene of soliciting or selling goods with high prices like some other places. Everything is served for free here. Pilgrims are offered incense and fortune trees and when leaving, they are given drinks and delicious meals. I will definitely come back here in the following festive seasons", Mrs.Binh said.

Safe and civilized festival

The 15^th day of the first lunar month is also the day when many pagodas and temples in Thu Dau Mot city will hold new spring festivals. According to the assessment of the Organization Boards and the Management Board of pagodas and temples, compared to last year, the number of visitors and pilgrims during this year's festival season has increased quite a lot, especially on the main holiday (full moon day of the first lunar month) because it coincides with a weekend. The largest number of visitors will be when Thien Hau Lady Temple in Phu Cuong ward holds the procession of her palanquin on the afternoon of February 24. Therefore, along with creating favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to participate in volunteer activities, Thu Dau Mot city has mobilized forces to keep close watch on roads, ensuring security and order, strengthen inspection tours on food safety and hygiene... to ensure a safe, civilized and healthy festival.

Mr. Lam added that this year's Thien Hau Lady temple festival in the city, centered on Thien Hau Lady Temple festival, takes place with the criteria of "A civilized, affectionate and environmentally friendly festival". Through each year, the Thien Hau Lady Temple festival has merged with the hospitality and kindness of the people of Thu land and become a unique cultural feature, the first spring festival of everyone and every home. The festival has contributed to strengthening the solidarity of ethnic groups and has become a common cultural feature in the Vietnamese ethnic community.

Reported by Hong Thuan-Translated by Kim Tin