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Lễ vía Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam (the Lady of the Sam Mountain festival)

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Vía Bà, Tắm Bà, Thỉnh sắc, Túc yết, Xây chầu, Chánh tế, Hồi sắc, Chùa Bà Châu Đốc

The festival at the miếu Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam, Châu Đốc, An Giang, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2024. The villagers of Vĩnh Tế honor the Lady as their village deity, so the rituals of bathing the Lady, inviting the sắc (titles), túc yết (evening vigil), xây chầu (drumming ceremony), chánh tế (main sacrifice), and hồi sắc (returning the titles) follow the Kỳ yên (peace-praying) style of worship at communal houses in the South.

When
From the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month; pilgrims visit the Lady throughout the year
For whom
Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam; during the festival, the Thoại Ngọc Hầu and his two wives are also invited with their sắc (titles)

Offerings and how the rite is done

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

Mekong Delta, miếu Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam, Châu Đốc, An Giang, Village communal-house rites, The whole festival run by the temple board, assembly hall or village

When
From the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month
Where the offerings are set
The miếu Bà Chúa Xứ at the foot of núi Sam, the stone pedestal on the summit of núi Sam, and the lăng Thoại Ngọc Hầu (Thoại Ngọc Hầu mausoleum)
Who makes the offering
The management board of the lăng miếu núi Sam and the village elders; the chánh bái (chief officiant) leads the ceremony

Offerings

OfferingQuantityNotes
Perfumed water, new robes and headdresses to bathe and change the statue of the LadyRequired. the old robes are cut into small pieces and given to festival visitors
A white pig, hair singed, slaughtered and cleaned, not yet cookedone fishRequired. offering for the túc yết (evening vigil) rite
A plate of mao huyết (blood with a few pig hairs)one plateRequired. offering for the túc yết (evening vigil) rite
Xôi (steamed sticky rice), fruit, betel leaves and areca nuts, rice and saltone tray of each, one plate of rice and saltRequired. offering for the túc yết (evening vigil) rite
Gold and silver paperburned after the offering is made

Steps

  1. The lễ phục hiện (re-enactment rite) processes the statue of the Lady from the summit of núi Sam down to the miếu, and the lễ khai hội (festival opening ceremony) takes place before the night of bathing the Lady
  2. The lễ tắm Bà (bathing the Lady) at midnight: the statue is wiped with perfumed water and its robes and headdress are changed; afterwards everyone comes in to make offerings
  3. The lễ thỉnh sắc (inviting the titles) at 15:00 on the 24th: the tablets of Thoại Ngọc Hầu and his two wives are brought from Sơn Lăng to the miếu
  4. The lễ túc yết at midnight on the 25th, continuing into the 26th: the elders and the management board in full ceremonial dress stand on both sides; the chánh bái offers incense, pours wine, presents tea, and makes the sacrifice
  5. The lễ xây chầu immediately after the túc yết: the chánh bái holds a dương branch, sprinkles water, reads a prayer, strikes three drum rolls, and calls out "ca công tiếp giá" (the singers welcome the deity), after which the hát bội (classical opera) begins
  6. The lễ chánh tế at 4:00 on the 26th, with rituals the same as the túc yết
  7. The lễ hồi sắc on the afternoon of the 27th: the sắc of Thoại Ngọc Hầu is returned to Sơn Lăng

Where the sources differ

  • Time of bathing the Lady: an article from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education records midnight on the 23rd, continuing into the 24th of the fourth lunar month; mytour.vn records 0:00 on the 23rd. Festival dates: báo Văn Hóa and Tuổi Trẻ record the 22nd to the 27th, while the journal article records from the night of the 23rd to the 27th.

Mekong Delta, miếu Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam, Châu Đốc, An Giang, Folk practice, At the temple of the one being honoured

When
Throughout the year; busiest from the first to the fourth lunar month
Where the offerings are set
The main hall of the miếu Bà
Who makes the offering
Khách hành hương

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Roast pigOptional. most pilgrims buy roast pig to offer
Fresh flowers, a plate of fruit, betel leaves and areca nuts, salt, riceOptional. simple offering tray
A plate of savory dishes or bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake)Optional

Steps

  1. Prepare offerings according to one's means, present the offerings, and visit the Lady in the main hall

More about Lễ vía Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam (the Lady of the Sam Mountain festival)

Nhật Nguyệt articles on the rite, the custom and how to prepare.

Sources

  • Lễ hội Vía Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam: Di sản sống động, kết nối cộng đồng (baovanhoa.vn)
  • Phạm Xuân Hậu, Nguyễn Thị Diễm Tuyết, Hoạt động tâm linh ở miếu Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam, An Giang và việc khai thác phục vụ du lịch, Tạp chí Khoa học Trường Đại học Sư phạm TP Hồ Chí Minh, tập 17 số 1 (2020) (journal.hcmue.edu.vn)
  • Các nghi lễ của lễ hội Bà chúa Xứ núi Sam tổ chức không quá 30 người (tuoitre.vn, 12/5/2020)
  • Khai hội Vía Bà Chúa Xứ Núi Sam năm 2026 (daibieunhandan.vn)
  • Khám phá An Giang trong mùa lễ hội vía Bà Chúa Xứ núi Sam (mytour.vn)
  • Kinh nghiệm viếng Bà Chúa Xứ Núi Sam (mia.vn)

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

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