President Vo Van Thuong joins OVs in traditional carp release ritual in Ho Chi Minh City
WVR/VNA - On February 2, President Vo Van Thuong and Spouse joined overseas Vietnamese (OV) in a traditional ritual of releasing carp at Nhà Rồng Wharf on the day for “Ong Cong, Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods).
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| President Vo Van Thuong joins OVs in traditional carp release ritual in Ho Chi Minh City: President Vo Van Thuong and Spouse conduct the carp release ritual at Ho Chi Minh City's Nha Rong Wharf on the day for “Ong Cong, Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) on Friday. (Photo: VNA) |
In Vietnamese tradition, Land Genie and Kitchen Gods worshipping ritual is held on the 23rd day of the last lunar month, which falls on February 2 this year. It is also considered the start of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, the biggest and most important traditional holiday for Vietnamese.
As the legend goes, “Ong Cong” (Land Genie) is the one in charge of land while “Ong Tao” (Kitchen Gods), consisting of two males and one female, are those who keep watch over the kitchen or domestic affairs of a family. They take note of a family’s issues in a year and will ride carp back to the Heaven on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month to report all the good and bad things concerning that family to the God of Heaven.
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| President Vo Van Thuong joins OVs in traditional carp release ritual in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: WVR) |
This year, the ritual drew 100 OVs who are participating in the annual “Xuan Que huong” (Homeland Spring) programme 2024.
In 2023, with the leadership of the Party and State as well as the consensus of the whole nation, including more than six million OVs, Vietnam overcame difficulties and gained many important achievements, maintaining economic growth impetus, ensuring social welfare, firmly protecting national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and enhancing the country’s image, position and prestige on the world arena.
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| President Vo Van Thuong and OVs pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh. (Photo: WVR) |
Before conducting the carp release ritual, President Thuong, Spouse and the OVs offered incense and flowers in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh and late President Ton Duc Thang.
The image of a carp swimming upstream and then leaping over the falls to turn into a dragon is a symbol of steadfastness in surmounting challenges to secure success.
At the Nha Rong Wharf, President Thuong and Spouse welcomed the OVs returning home.
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| President Vo Van Thuong and OVs at the President Ho Chi Minh Statue Park. (Photo: WVR) |
Also on Friday, the State leader and his entourage spent a minute of silence in commemoration of late President Ho Chi Minh at the President Ho Chi Minh statue park on Nguyen Hue Street in District 1.
(Source: WVR/VNA)
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