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TL;DR: Cao Đài Founding Day commemorates the Hoang khai Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ of the Bính Dần year 1926, organized by the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh Holy See around the full moon of the tenth lunar month and tied to the Hạ Ngươn festival. Cao Đài has three great Nguon festivals, Thượng Ngươn, Trung Ngươn and Hạ Ngươn, all on full moon days with a Đại Đàn offering at Tây Ninh Holy See and its thanh that. Sources differ on the 1926 date between 14/10 and 15/10 Bính Dần, and the 2024 centenary took place on the night of 14 and the morning of 15 November.
What is Cao Đài Founding Day and why is it tied to the tenth lunar month full moon?
Cao Đài Founding Day commemorates the Hoang khai Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, counted from the Bính Dần year 1926, and is organized by the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh Holy See around the full moon of the tenth lunar month, tied to the Hạ Ngươn festival. It is not a fixed date on the solar calendar: the lunar date is the original marker, so the corresponding solar date shifts each year.
According to a Vietnam News Agency bulletin published on 15 November 2024, the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh Holy See held the centenary of the Hoang khai Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, recording the marker "14/10/Binh Dan 1926-14/10/Giap Thin 2024"[1]. A Người Lao Động report of the same day also recorded the event as taking place "on the night of 14 and the morning of 15 November", that is two consecutive sessions[2].
The way the 1926 marker is recorded is not entirely consistent across sources: some record 14/10 Bính Dần, while calendrical cross-checks usually place the tenth month full moon of Bính Dần on 15/10. This article therefore gives both ways of recording it and does not assert a single date for the 1926 founding marker.
What are the three great Nguon festivals of Cao Đài?
The three great Nguon festivals are Thượng Ngươn, Trung Ngươn and Hạ Ngươn. All three fall on full moon days and all are held with a Đại Đàn offering to Đức Chí Tôn, Đức Phật Mẫu and the Than, Thanh, Tien, Phat at Tây Ninh Holy See and thanh that across the country[3].
| Great festival | Lunar date | Venue according to the source |
|---|---|---|
| Thượng Ngươn | Full moon of the first month | Tây Ninh Holy See and thanh that across the country[3] |
| Trung Ngươn | Full moon of the seventh month | Tây Ninh Holy See and thanh that across the country[3] |
| Hạ Ngươn | Full moon of the tenth month | Tây Ninh Holy See and thanh that across the country[3] |
As for the ritual at a local parish, a Thanh Niên article recorded that at Sai Gon Thánh Thất (Chợ Quán ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the Trung Ngươn festival on the seventh month full moon has these steps: in the morning a vegetarian banquet for fellow adherents; around 10 a.m. the ritual of hanh phap giai oan tam thanh; at 12 noon the offering to the Altar, the offering to Cửu Huyền Thất Tổ and the lighting of lamps in sacrifice to fallen soldiers and compatriots who died in disasters[3]. This is a record at one specific thanh that, not a description applying to all places of worship.
How does the Hạ Ngươn festival differ from Trung Ngươn in its offerings?
A notable difference lies in the presentation of petitions. According to the article cited above, on the seventh month full moon Cao Đài adherents do not present petitions praying for Cửu Huyền Thất Tổ, because that was done on the first month full moon; the Trung Ngươn festival prays only for chon hon of all grades, compatriots who died in disasters and fallen soldiers[3]. This division shows that the three Nguon festivals do not overlap in their prayers, even though they share the same Đại Đàn ritual framework.
How was the 2024 centenary of the Hoang khai Dai dao held?
The 2024 centenary took place in two sessions: the evening of 14 November and the morning of 15 November on the solar calendar, at Tây Ninh Cao Đài Holy See, Tây Ninh province. This was the occasion of a full century counted from the 1926 Bính Dần founding marker according to the Holy See's way of recording it.
According to the Vietnam News Agency bulletin, attendees included representatives of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Central Mass Mobilization Commission, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, several central and local ministries and branches, along with thousands of Cao Đài adherents at home and abroad[1]. Speaking at the ceremony were Dau su Thượng Tám Thanh, Head of the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh, and Vũ Hoài Bắc, Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs[1][2].
According to Người Lao Động, at the ceremony Vũ Hoài Bắc presented a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Home Affairs to the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh Holy See[2]. The Vietnam News Agency bulletin recorded that the Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, authorized by the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, presented flowers congratulating the centenary of the Hoang khai Dai dao[1].
| Marker | Recorded content | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 (Bính Dần) | Marker of the Hoang khai Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, recorded as 14/10/Binh Dan by the Holy See; some cross-checks place the tenth month full moon on 15/10 | Vietnam News Agency bulletin[1] |
| 2024 (Giáp Thìn) | Centenary ceremony, held on the night of 14 and the morning of 15 November on the solar calendar at Tây Ninh Holy See | Vietnam News Agency bulletin[1], Người Lao Động[2] |
How are the huong an procession and the Đại Đàn offering at the Holy See carried out?
According to sources recording the great festival, the huong an procession goes from the Chinh mon gate into the Holy See, led by the Thiên Nhãn flag, followed by the Đại Đàn offering and the Tứ Linh dance. These are the rituals described within the framework of the great festival at Tây Ninh Holy See.
The order of the ceremony at the great festival consists of a huong an procession from the Chinh mon gate into the Holy See with the Thiên Nhãn flag at the front, then the Đại Đàn offering and the Tứ Linh dance. This article only recounts what the sources say about the festival and does not go into explaining the doctrinal meaning of each ritual.
Why are most rituals tied to the full moon day?
In Cao Đài ritual practice, the full moon is the common marker for all three great Nguon festivals, and the Đại Đàn is offered on that very day at Tây Ninh Holy See and its thanh that[3]. Choosing the full moon as the marker keeps the lunar festival date stable, while the solar date changes from year to year, exactly as in the case of the 2024 centenary falling in mid-November on the solar calendar[1][2].
Scale of organization and adherent figures cited at the 2024 ceremony
The figures below on adherents, places of worship and visitors are those cited by the Holy See at the 2024 centenary, tied to a specific point in time, not continuously updated data.
According to the speech of Dau su Thượng Tám Thanh, Head of the Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh, cited by both newspapers, the Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ of Tây Ninh Holy See has more than 3 million adherents in the country, with 451 thanh that and 173 temples to Đức Phật Mẫu in 39 provinces and cities[1][2]. Also according to Người Lao Động, the Cao Đài religion of Tây Ninh Holy See has more than 5,800 male and female dignitaries and more than 35,000 functionaries of various ranks[2].
On visitors, Người Lao Động recorded that Tây Ninh Cao Đài Holy See received 2,900,000 domestic visitor arrivals; 177 delegations from 91 countries and more than 74,000 foreign visitors; the total charitable relief funds cited were 180.5 billion dong[2]. These are the source's figures at the time of reporting in November 2024.
Points to note when looking up this festival
When looking it up, one should distinguish three layers of information that are often mixed: the original lunar marker of the founding day, the corresponding solar date of each year, and the scope of organization. The lunar marker is the stable part; the solar date is the shifting part; and the scope of organization, according to the sources, covers Tây Ninh Holy See and thanh that across the country, where the detailed ritual at each parish may differ, as in the case of Sai Gon Thánh Thất[3].
On place names, Tây Ninh Cao Đài Holy See is located in Tây Ninh province, a current provincial-level administrative unit. Sai Gon Thánh Thất is recorded by the source as belonging to Chợ Quán ward, Ho Chi Minh City, with the note "the old district 5 area"[3]. This way of recording reflects that administrative unit names have changed through successive reorganizations, so when looking up a specific location one should cross-check the current name against the old name in parentheses.
On the full name, the sources use both forms: "Hoang khai Dai dao Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ" and "hoang khai Dai dao Tam ky Pho do"[1][2]. This festival is also referred to together with the name Hạ Ngươn when it coincides with the tenth lunar month full moon, and with the names of the three great Nguon festivals when speaking generally of the religion's system of full moon festivals during the year[3].
