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Lễ Đức Thánh Trần

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Ban Trần Triều, Hưng Đạo Đại Vương, Giỗ Cha 20 tháng Tám, Lễ giỗ Đức Thánh Trần, Hội đền Kiếp Bạc

Hưng Đạo Đại vương is honored by folk custom as Đức Thánh Trần, worshipped at Kiếp Bạc temple, the Trần temples, and the Trần Triều altar in many temples and phủ. By custom, the 20th day of the eighth lunar month is giỗ Cha (the death anniversary of the Father), and many places hold death-anniversary ceremonies and festivals.

When
The 20th day of the eighth lunar month (giỗ Cha, the death anniversary of the Father); temples in Ho Chi Minh City also hold a birth ceremony on the 10th day of the twelfth lunar month; throughout the year at the Trần Triều altar
For whom
Đức Thánh Trần (Hưng Đạo Đại vương Trần Quốc Tuấn) along with his family, generals, that is, the Hội đồng Trần triều (Trần Dynasty Council)

Prayer text for the offering rite to Đức Thánh Trần

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

The prayer below is kept in Vietnamese, the language it is read aloud in during the rite.

Fill in before the rite

Name, address and regional custom

Your name and address appear in the prayer below and are kept on this device only.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

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Other texts for Lễ Đức Thánh Trần

Versions by region, by tradition and for each part of the rite.

Offerings and how the rite is done

As commonly practised and recorded by the sources. Each family and each region may do it differently.

Red River Delta, đền Kiếp Bạc, núi Mâm Xôi, Chí Linh, Village communal-house rites, The whole festival run by the temple board, assembly hall or village

When
The 20th day of the eighth lunar month (traditionally the day Hưng Đạo Đại vương passed away); the Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc autumn festival from the 15th to the 20th of the eighth lunar month
Where the offerings are set
The courtyard of Bạc house at Kiếp Bạc temple and the Cửu Thiên shrine on Mâm Xôi mountain behind the temple
Who makes the offering
The festival organizing committee, the people of the two villages Vạn Yên (Kiếp village) and Dược Sơn (Bạc village), the monks performing the ritual; visitors from all directions offering incense

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Offering trays of the two villages: live pigs, local cakes of various kindsparaded together with palanquins, flags, parasols, bát bửu (ceremonial weapons), unicorns, dragons
Incense, flowers, ceremonial offerings of delegates and visitors from all directions

Steps

  1. Early in the morning, the two villages parade on foot from two directions, one from Nam Tào temple, one from Bắc Đẩu temple, and together enter Kiếp Bạc temple to offer sacrifices to Đức Thánh
  2. Delegates, local people, and visitors offer incense in remembrance at the courtyard of Bạc house
  3. Pilgrimage up Mâm Xôi mountain to perform the death-anniversary ceremony; the monks perform rituals to worship Buddha, the Saints, and the Hội đồng Trần triều
  4. During the festival days, there is a festive performance of hầu Thánh (spirit mediumship ritual) by the mediums and cung văn (ritual musicians) at the temple (Văn Hóa newspaper)

Southeast, đền thờ Đức Thánh Trần đường Võ Thị Sáu (TP. Hồ Chí Minh), đền thờ Đức Thánh Trần, 68 Hạ Long (Vũng Tàu), Folk practice

When
The 20th day of the eighth lunar month; temples in Ho Chi Minh City also hold a birth ceremony on the 10th day of the twelfth lunar month
Where the offerings are set
The temple of Đức Thánh Trần in each locality

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Offering tray of the worshipper: incense, flowers, fruit, xôi (steamed sticky rice), chicken, porkaccording to the article about Vũng Tàu

Steps

  1. Offer incense, flowers, offerings and recall the career of Hưng Đạo Đại vương
  2. In Vũng Tàu: the temple also offers to hậu từ and chúng sinh; the offerings are afterwards divided as lộc for everyone; there is lion dance, no festival part
  3. In Ho Chi Minh City: besides the ritual, there is also lion dance, traditional art performances; the main gate of the temple only opens on the first day of the lunar month, the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and major festivals

Used across Vietnam, Mother Goddess worship (Tứ Phủ), At the temple of the one being honoured

When
Throughout the year, when visiting Trần temples or temples and phủ that have the Trần Triều altar
Where the offerings are set
Trần Triều altar: the statue of Đức Thánh Trần in the middle, below or on both sides are the Vương tử (princes), Vương cô (princesses), and family generals
Who makes the offering
Worshipper

Offerings

Offering
Incense, flowers, clean water and offerings according to one's heart

Steps

  1. Offer incense, flowers, offerings at the altar
  2. Pray in remembrance, wishing for family peace and safety

Things to avoid

  • limit burning votive paper at crowded relics

The wording is kept exactly as published by the source. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

Sources

  • Văn khấn lễ Đức Thánh Trần (vankhan.vn)
  • Thành kính lễ giỗ Đức Thánh Trần ở Hải Dương (mekongasean.vn, 22/9/2024)
  • Trang nghiêm lễ giỗ Đức Thánh Trần tại khu di tích Kiếp Bạc (mekongasean.vn, 30/9/2026)
  • Hải Phòng: Lễ giỗ Đức Thánh Trần tại đền Kiếp Bạc năm 2025 (Tạp chí Luật sư Việt Nam, lsvn.vn)
  • Liên hoan diễn xướng hầu Thánh, điểm nhấn của Lễ hội mùa thu Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc (baovanhoa.vn)
  • Tập tục thờ cúng trong nghi thức lên đồng (vankhan.vn)
  • Đền thờ Đức Thánh Trần Hưng Đạo (greensm.com)
  • Lễ giỗ Đức Thánh Trần Hưng Đạo của Vũng Tàu (mia.vn)

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

More prayer textsDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, life-cycle rites and regional rites.