To ensure a safe festival season and leave many good impressions...

The annual First Full Moon Festival in lunar January with the featured Festival of Thien Hau Thanh Mau Temple in Thu Dau Mot City, is one of the major festive activities, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from everywhere. To inform more about the First Full Moon Festival this year, Binh Duong Newspaper made an interview with Nguyen Thu Cuc, Chairwoman of Thu Dau Mot City People's Committee, Head of Steering Committee of the festival.

- After a long time affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, how will the First Full Moon Festival in Thu Dau Mot City be organised this year, madam?

- As a traditional cultural festival of Thu - Binh Duong land and people, the First Full Moon Festival in lunar January this year will return after two postponement years due to the implementation of Covid-19 prevention control measures. The resumption of festival activities also aims to affirm the continuation and promotion of the good values of early spring festivals, in accordance with the spirit of joy, safety, and thrift.

In 2023, the First Full Moon Festival will have its usual activities, namely two processions of Thien Hau Thanh Mau on the 9th of lunar January in Binh Duong New City center and the 15th of lunar January on inner streets of Thu Dau Mot city. As plannned by the Organizing Committee, this year's festival will attract tens of thousands of visitors during peak days. By this time, Thu Dau Mot City is ready to welcome tourists from everywhere making pilgrimage, wishing for good fortune in the new year.

Lady Thien Hau Temple in Phu Cuong Ward of Thu Dau Mot City these days has welcomed numerous visitors from all over places, but it is always open, security and order are guaranteed.

- The annual First Full Moon Festival in Thu Dau Mot City attracts tens of thousands of visitors from everywhere during peak days. Therefore, before the 2023 Tet holidays, the city’s administration developed a plan, established a festival steering committee, and strengthened coordination with competent sectors and localities to ensure that the festival takes place safely, joyful, best serving people’s needs for going to temples and pagodas at beginning of the new year.

In order for the festival to take place safely and meaningfully, the city pays special attention and directs relevant sectors and localities to coordinate well to perform some key tasks, such as: social security and order, fire prevention fighting, food hygiene and safety, parking areas, market control and management, and especially spring volunteer activities to serve the festival...

The procession of Thien Hau Thanh Mau in 2022 in Binh Duong new city.

- What is the difference between this year's festival and ones of previous years? What are those activities specifically, ma'am?

- As we can see now that the central area of the crossroads and area of Bach Dang wharf and central streets of Thu Dau Mot city this year has become much brighter and fresher. It is also the city's concern for a more spacious and clean urban face to welcome visitors during the festival time in the city. In the past few days, the city's leaders also met some visitors coming from other provinces and cities to visit Lady Thien Hau Temple; and they were very impressed by changes of Thu Dau Mot City. 

In addition to the above preparation, to organize this year's festival, the city will strengthen information and communication as well as volunteer activities more methodically and thoughtfully, in order to create the most favorable conditions for visitors coming to Thu Dau Mot City in this lunar January. By the way, I want to share the hotline number of the Festival Steering Committee: 02743822427, which receives any complaints related to the organization of the festival.

- Referring to the lunar January’s Full Moon Festival in Thu Dau Mot City, surely everyone remembers a cultural beauty of a "free" festival that takes place during whole the festival season. How will those cultural beauties continue to be preserved and promoted during this year festival, ma’am?

- From small charity volunteer actions at first, up to now, volunteer activities during the First Full Moon Festival in Binh Duong have been well organized and is developing into a volunteer movement that draw the participation of many local people and organizations. Locals share a kind heart with visitors. It can be a bottle of water, a loaf of veggie bread, a tissue paper, or a free puncture repair, giving directions... What the people of Thu - Binh Duong land give away is not for the sake of receiving it in return, but it is to give good deeds, sincerity and hospitality. It is also a way for us to introduce to friends everywhere about a land of civilization and kindness that is on its way to strong development.

- Thank you so much!

Reported by Hong Thuan - Translated by Ngoc Huynh