TL;DR: The Mother Âu Cơ Temple Festival runs over two days, the 6th and 7th of the first lunar month, at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple and the communal house of Đức Thánh Cả in Hiền Lương commune, Phú Thọ province; the 7th is the day of the Fairy's descent in legend. The main rituals are the offering to the three Đức Ông at the communal house, the procession of the Saint's palanquin and offerings from the communal house to the temple, incense offering and the female officiants' ritual. The offerings are vegetarian, including 100 clusters of honey cakes, 100 portions of che kho and 100 banh it, symbolising the offerings of one hundred children to their Mother. The Mother Âu Cơ worship was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2017.
When and where does the Mother Âu Cơ Temple Festival take place?
The Mother Âu Cơ Temple Festival is held annually over two days, from the 6th to the 7th of the first lunar month, at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple and the communal house of Đức Thánh Cả, Hiền Lương commune, Phú Thọ province (before July 2025 it belonged to Hạ Hòa district)[1][2]. The 7th of the first lunar month is called the day of the Fairy's descent, the day the fairy Âu Cơ came down to earth according to legend[2][3].
The Hạ Hòa commune portal states the festival takes place over two days, from the 6th to the 7th of the first lunar month[1]. Báo Văn Hoa reports the festival is held on the 7th of the first lunar month, the day of the Fairy's descent[2]. Nhân Dân news of 23 February 2026 (the 7th of the first lunar month of the Bính Ngọ year) reported that an incense offering ceremony in memory of Mother Âu Cơ was held here[3].
The Mother Âu Cơ Temple is the place of worship of Mother Âu Cơ, located in Hiền Lương commune, Phú Thọ province[1]. The relic complex includes the Mother Âu Cơ Temple and the communal house of Đức Thánh Cả, forming a complex of tangible and intangible heritage associated with the image of Mother Âu Cơ[1][2].
Why are the offerings one hundred cakes?
The offerings to the Mother are vegetarian, including fruit, incense, betel, wine, along with 100 clusters of honey cakes, 100 portions of che kho and 100 banh it[2]. These numbers of 100 symbolise the offerings of 100 children to their Mother, according to the legend that Mother Âu Cơ gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs that hatched into 100 sons[2][3].
This understanding comes from the legend of the sac of one hundred eggs. The legend tells that Âu Cơ married Lạc Long Quân and gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which later hatched into 100 sons; Lạc Long Quân took 50 sons to the sea, Âu Cơ took 49 sons to the mountains, leaving the eldest son in Phong Châu land to continue the line, taking the title Hùng Vương the First[1][3]. In that legend, each cake in the offerings is a portion of each child's offering, gathered into 100 portions offered to the Mother. This is legend, not a verified historical event.
How do the rituals unfold over the two days?
The main rituals include the offering to the three Đức Ông at the communal house performed by a male officiant team, then the procession of the Saint's palanquin and offerings from the communal house to the Mother Âu Cơ Temple; when the procession reaches the temple yard, the incense and offering ceremony begins, followed by the female officiants' ritual[2].
| Time | Rituals and activities | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 6th of the first lunar month | Cultural, artistic and sporting activities; art performances and traditional folk cultural performances | Hạ Hòa commune portal[1] |
| 7th of the first lunar month (day of the Fairy's descent) | Offering to the three Đức Ông at the communal house; procession of the Saint's palanquin and offerings from the communal house to the Mother Temple; incense and offering ceremony; female officiants' ritual; festival activities with folk games | Báo Văn Hoa[2], Nhân Dân[3] |
The Hạ Hòa commune portal states the highlight of the festival is the art performance and traditional folk cultural performance held on the 6th of the first lunar month[1]. Báo Văn Hoa describes the festival beginning with the offering to the three Đức Ông performed by a male officiant team, and immediately after the offering ceremony, the procession of the Saint's palanquin from the communal house to the Mother Âu Cơ Temple sets off[2].
The female officiants' ritual: the main part of the ceremony and the number of officiants
The female officiants' ritual is the main part of the ceremony and the most attention-grabbing part of the offerings[2][3]. Báo Văn Hoa records the female officiant team includes 14 young maidens, wearing ao dai of various colours, with gold-threaded headscarves, embroidered shoes, silk belts, and the chief officiant dressed entirely in red[2]. Nhân Dân news of 23 February 2026 records the officiant team includes 21 young maidens, carefully selected for beauty, education and virtue, with the chief female officiant in red ceremonial robes and a red headscarf[3].
The two sources give different numbers for the female officiant team: 14 people (Báo Văn Hoa)[2] and 21 people (Nhân Dân, 2026)[3]. This difference shows the number of female officiants may vary between years and between records. The article does not give a fixed number for the female officiant team.
What games are there in the festival part?
The festival part features many folk games such as swinging, human chess, cockfighting, and tom diem with prizes, along with artistic performances and cultural exchanges[1][2]. Báo Văn Hoa also records singing of songs praising Mother Âu Cơ[2].
The Hạ Hòa commune portal lists activities such as the male offering at the Đức Ông communal house, men's leather volleyball, women's air volleyball, Chinese chess, folk games and artistic performances[1]. Báo Văn Hoa lists swinging, human chess, cockfighting, and tom diem with prizes[2].
The legend of Mother Âu Cơ and the historical milestones of the temple
The legend tells that on the 7th of the first lunar month, the fairy Âu Cơ came down to earth, married Lạc Long Quân and gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which later hatched into 100 sons[1]. One day, Lạc Long Quân took 50 sons to the sea, Âu Cơ took 49 sons to the mountains, leaving the eldest son in Phong Châu land to continue the line as the first Hung King[1]. When she reached the Hiền Lương area, seeing the scenery of blue mountains and clear waters, fertile land, the Mother stopped to clear wasteland, establish villages, teach people to reclaim land, settle, plant rice, grow mulberries, raise silkworms, weave cloth and make cakes from local products[1]. On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, the Mother and her fairies flew back to heaven, leaving under the banyan tree at the village entrance a shimmering silk strip like a seven-coloured rainbow; under that banyan tree, the people of Hiền Lương built a temple to honour the merits of the Mother[1].
According to the Hạ Hòa commune portal, in the Later Le dynasty, under King Lê Thánh Tông, the 6th Hồng Đức year (1475), the deity was conferred a title and the Mother Âu Cơ Temple was built on the scale seen today in Hiền Lương commune[1]. Nhân Dân also records the relic was three times conferred by dynasties as a National Temple, with two conferrals of titles[3].
| Milestone | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1475 (6th Hồng Đức year) | Conferral of title and construction of the Mother Âu Cơ Temple on the scale seen today in Hiền Lương commune | Hạ Hòa commune portal[1] |
| 1991 | Ministry of Culture and Information recognised the Mother Âu Cơ Temple as a national historical and cultural relic | Hạ Hòa commune portal[1], Nhân Dân[3] |
| 23 January 2017 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 217/QD-BVHTTDL, recognising the Mother Âu Cơ worship as a national intangible cultural heritage | Hạ Hòa commune portal[1], Báo Văn Hoa[2] |
| 15 January 2020 | The Prime Minister decided to recognise the Mother Âu Cơ statue (19th century, worshipped at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple) as a National Treasure | Hạ Hòa commune portal[1], Nhân Dân[3] |
The Hạ Hòa commune portal records that on 23 January 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 217/QD-BVHTTDL recognising the Mother Âu Cơ worship as a national intangible cultural heritage[1]. Báo Văn Hoa records that in January 2017, the Mother Âu Cơ worship was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage[2].
The Hạ Hòa commune portal records that on 15 January 2020, the Prime Minister decided to recognise the Mother Âu Cơ statue (19th century, worshipped at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple, Hiền Lương commune, Hạ Hòa district) as a National Treasure[1]. Nhân Dân records that in 2020, the Mother Âu Cơ statue was recognised as a national treasure[3].
What exactly was recognised as the Mother Âu Cơ worship?
The title recognised is the Mother Âu Cơ worship, not the festival alone. According to Decision No. 217/QD-BVHTTDL of 23 January 2017 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Mother Âu Cơ worship was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage[1][2].
The Mother Âu Cơ worship at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple in Hiền Lương commune is described as a complex containing many unique cultural values: the Mother Âu Cơ Temple relic, the communal house of Đức Thánh Cả, along with the overall content and practice of the worship[1][2]. The sources also state this worship is expressed through goddess worship, ancestor worship, the reverence and devotion to the Mother, the process of mythologising history and historicising myth[1].
How does this festival differ from other festivals in the Ancestral Land?
The distinguishing point of the Mother Âu Cơ Temple Festival lies in the object of worship and the rituals. The temple worships Mother Âu Cơ, the Mother in the legend of the sac of one hundred eggs, rather than a specific deity or hero tied to a historical event[1]. The rituals include a female officiants' ceremony performed by young maidens, considered a unique feature of this festival[1][2].
The Hạ Hòa commune portal comments that the Mother Âu Cơ worship adds to the system of worship and commemoration of the Hung Kings in the Ancestral Land, contributing to enriching the forms of remembrance and gratitude for ancestral merits[1]. This is the source's understanding, not an evaluation comparing festivals as better or worse.
What can visitors do at the festival?
Visitors to the festival can offer incense at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple, practise Mother worship in its true character right at the temple, watch the offering and palanquin procession rituals, and join the atmosphere of the festival part with folk games[1][2].
The Hạ Hòa commune portal records that visitors to the festival will be immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of activities such as the male offering at the Đức Ông communal house, men's leather volleyball, women's air volleyball, Chinese chess, folk games and artistic performances and cultural exchanges[1]. Báo Văn Hoa records that visitors will be able to practise Mother worship in its true character right at the Mother Âu Cơ Temple itself[2].
