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Rite of Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu (Holy Mother of the Jade Pool) and Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ (Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens)

Also called: Mẹ Diêu Trì, Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu, Kim Bàn Phật Mẫu, Đức Phật Mẫu, Bà Trời, Địa Mẫu

  • Pagodas, communal houses, temples and shrines

Culture and belief A record of custom.

Prayer text for Rite of Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu (Holy Mother of the Jade Pool) and Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ (Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens)1 texts, kept in Vietnamese, with an English summary.

A goddess of Daoist origin, worshipped in folk belief in Vietnam, not belonging to the Tam tòa Thánh Mẫu (Three Palaces of the Holy Mothers). Many domestic guides describe offering incense, flowers, tea and fruit and reading a prayer text at home or at a đền or miếu where she is worshipped.

At a glance

When it is held
The ngày vía (saint's day) is usually given as the 18th day of the tenth lunar month; some places take the 3rd day of the third lunar month or the full moon of the eighth lunar month
This year (2026)
Next year (2027)
For whom
Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu (Holy Mother of the Jade Pool), also called Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu (Golden Mother of the Jade Pool); Đức Phật Mẫu (Holy Mother Buddha)
Where
An altar with a statue or tablet of Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu at home; a đền or miếu where she is worshipped
Who makes the offering
The head of the household, dressed neatly

Lunar calendar

Each family and each region may do it differently.

The offering tray

When
The ngày vía is usually given as the 18th day of the tenth lunar month; the timing may differ by local custom
OfferingVegetarian or not
Flowers
Fresh flowers (roses, chrysanthemums or lotus)
Fruit
Fresh fruitVegetarian
Incense, lamps, candles
Candles, incense sticks
Tea, rice wine, water
Clean water, wine, teaVegetarian
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
Offering foods: xôi (steamed sticky rice), chè (sweet soup), rice, nutsVegetarian

Steps of the rite

  1. Light the candles, arrange the offerings on the altar
  2. Light incense, bow three times
  3. Read the prayer text

Where the sources differ

  • Date of the ceremony: VOH gives only the 18th day of the tenth lunar month and says it may change by place; one guide lists three days according to three different traditions, the 3rd day of the third lunar month, the full moon of the eighth lunar month and the 18th day of the tenth lunar month.

Communities and regions

Sources

  • Cách sắm lễ và văn khấn Mẹ Diêu Trì (voh.com.vn)
  • Văn khấn mẹ Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu (muaban.net)

Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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