When and where does the Mother Au Co Temple Festival take place?
The Mother Au Co Temple Festival is held annually over two days, from the 6th to the 7th of the first lunar month, at the Mother Au Co Temple and the communal house of Duc Thanh Ca, Hien Luong commune, Phu Tho province (before July 2025 it belonged to Ha Hoa district)12. The 7th of the first lunar month is called the day of the Fairy's descent, the day the fairy Au Co came down to earth according to legend23.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa commune portal states the festival takes place over two days, from the 6th to the 7th of the first lunar month1. Bao Van Hoa reports the festival is held on the 7th of the first lunar month, the day of the Fairy's descent2. Nhan Dan news of 23 February 2026 (the 7th of the first lunar month of the Binh Ngo year) reported that an incense offering ceremony in memory of Mother Au Co was held here3.
The Mother Au Co Temple is the place of worship of Mother Au Co, located in Hien Luong commune, Phu Tho province1. The relic complex includes the Mother Au Co Temple and the communal house of Duc Thanh Ca, forming a complex of tangible and intangible heritage associated with the image of Mother Au Co12.
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 it2. These numbers of 100 symbolise the offerings of 100 children to their Mother, according to the legend that Mother Au Co gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs that hatched into 100 sons23.
Kind of knowledge: SchoolSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsThis understanding comes from the legend of the sac of one hundred eggs. The legend tells that Au Co married Lac Long Quan and gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which later hatched into 100 sons; Lac Long Quan took 50 sons to the sea, Au Co took 49 sons to the mountains, leaving the eldest son in Phong Chau land to continue the line, taking the title Hung Vuong the First13. 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 Duc Ong 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 Au Co Temple; when the procession reaches the temple yard, the incense and offering ceremony begins, followed by the female officiants' ritual2.
| Time | Rituals and activities | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 6th of the first lunar month | Cultural, artistic and sporting activities; art performances and traditional folk cultural performances | Ha Hoa commune portal1 |
| 7th of the first lunar month (day of the Fairy's descent) | Offering to the three Duc Ong 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 | Bao Van Hoa2, Nhan Dan3 |
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa 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 month1. Bao Van Hoa describes the festival beginning with the offering to the three Duc Ong 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 Au Co Temple sets off2.
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 offerings23. Bao Van 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 red2. Nhan Dan 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 headscarf3.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe two sources give different numbers for the female officiant team: 14 people (Bao Van Hoa)2 and 21 people (Nhan Dan, 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 exchanges12. Bao Van Hoa also records singing of songs praising Mother Au Co2.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa commune portal lists activities such as the male offering at the Duc Ong communal house, men's leather volleyball, women's air volleyball, Chinese chess, folk games and artistic performances1. Bao Van Hoa lists swinging, human chess, cockfighting, and tom diem with prizes2.
The legend of Mother Au Co and the historical milestones of the temple
The legend tells that on the 7th of the first lunar month, the fairy Au Co came down to earth, married Lac Long Quan and gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which later hatched into 100 sons1. One day, Lac Long Quan took 50 sons to the sea, Au Co took 49 sons to the mountains, leaving the eldest son in Phong Chau land to continue the line as the first Hung King1. When she reached the Hien Luong 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 products1. 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 Hien Luong built a temple to honour the merits of the Mother1.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsAccording to the Ha Hoa commune portal, in the Later Le dynasty, under King Le Thanh Tong, the 6th Hong Duc year (1475), the deity was conferred a title and the Mother Au Co Temple was built on the scale seen today in Hien Luong commune1. Nhan Dan also records the relic was three times conferred by dynasties as a National Temple, with two conferrals of titles3.
| Milestone | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1475 (6th Hong Duc year) | Conferral of title and construction of the Mother Au Co Temple on the scale seen today in Hien Luong commune | Ha Hoa commune portal1 |
| 1991 | Ministry of Culture and Information recognised the Mother Au Co Temple as a national historical and cultural relic | Ha Hoa commune portal1, Nhan Dan3 |
| 23 January 2017 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 217/QD-BVHTTDL, recognising the Mother Au Co worship as a national intangible cultural heritage | Ha Hoa commune portal1, Bao Van Hoa2 |
| 15 January 2020 | The Prime Minister decided to recognise the Mother Au Co statue (19th century, worshipped at the Mother Au Co Temple) as a National Treasure | Ha Hoa commune portal1, Nhan Dan3 |
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa commune portal records that on 23 January 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 217/QD-BVHTTDL recognising the Mother Au Co worship as a national intangible cultural heritage1. Bao Van Hoa records that in January 2017, the Mother Au Co worship was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage2.
The Ha Hoa commune portal records that on 15 January 2020, the Prime Minister decided to recognise the Mother Au Co statue (19th century, worshipped at the Mother Au Co Temple, Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district) as a National Treasure1. Nhan Dan records that in 2020, the Mother Au Co statue was recognised as a national treasure3.
What exactly was recognised as the Mother Au Co worship?
The title recognised is the Mother Au Co 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 Au Co worship was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage12.
Kind of knowledge: SchoolSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsThe Mother Au Co worship at the Mother Au Co Temple in Hien Luong commune is described as a complex containing many unique cultural values: the Mother Au Co Temple relic, the communal house of Duc Thanh Ca, along with the overall content and practice of the worship12. 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 myth1.
How does this festival differ from other festivals in the Ancestral Land?
The distinguishing point of the Mother Au Co Temple Festival lies in the object of worship and the rituals. The temple worships Mother Au Co, the Mother in the legend of the sac of one hundred eggs, rather than a specific deity or hero tied to a historical event1. The rituals include a female officiants' ceremony performed by young maidens, considered a unique feature of this festival12.
Kind of knowledge: SchoolSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa commune portal comments that the Mother Au Co 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 merits1. 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 Au Co 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 games12.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsThe Ha Hoa commune portal records that visitors to the festival will be immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of activities such as the male offering at the Duc Ong communal house, men's leather volleyball, women's air volleyball, Chinese chess, folk games and artistic performances and cultural exchanges1. Bao Van Hoa records that visitors will be able to practise Mother worship in its true character right at the Mother Au Co Temple itself2.
