Centennial Incense Villages: Keeping the Spiritual Bridge of Vietnamese People Alive
Discover Vietnam's century-old incense villages, where the spiritual culture is preserved through each handmade stick, from Quảng Phú Cầu to Thủy Xuân.
Results for "incense making"
What values does incense making bring to Thôn Cao villagers?
Incense making is the main income source for nearly 200 households, with monthly earnings ranging from 20 million to hundreds of millions VND. Beyond economic value, the craft represents cultural and spiritual beauty, unites the community, and exports to countries like Cambodia, India, and China.
From the article “Thôn Cao Incense Village - Preserving the Beauty of Vietnamese Spiritual Beliefs”
What Traditional Crafts Does Vietnam Have?
Vietnam's traditional crafts include bronze casting, silk weaving, conical hats, incense, drums, pottery and folk paintings, tied to craft villages.
Văn Trai Thượng Traditional Incense Village - Fragrance from Herbs
Văn Trai Thượng incense village in Hưng Yên makes handmade incense from natural herbs, creating fragrant, low-smoke sticks.
Traditional Incense Making of the Nùng An People in Cao Bằng
The 100-year-old Phia Thắp incense craft of the Nùng An people in Cao Bằng uses natural materials and a fully handmade process.
Thôn Cao Incense Village - Preserving the Beauty of Vietnamese Spiritual Beliefs
Thôn Cao incense village in Hưng Yên is Northern Vietnam's largest incense-making craft village, its 18th-century craft tied to ancestress Đào Thị Khương.
How Many Altars and How Many Incense Bowls Should a House Have to Be Rite-Compliant?
The number of altars and incense bowls in a home is not fixed. This analysis draws on Gia lễ giản yếu and ethnographic records, with layouts for each case.
Thần Hổ, Sơn thần, Mộc tinh: the deities Vietnamese people once worshipped at outdoor incense trees
Northern Kinh households once set outdoor incense altars to Sơn thần and Thần Hổ, some building shrines to Mộc tinh at old tree bases.
Replacing the incense bowl: when to do it, who may do it, the sequence, and why practices differ between households
What replacing an incense bowl involves, when it should be renewed, who in the family may do it, and why the customs vary across regions and households.
Folk Taboos When Making Offerings on the Full Moon and First Day of the Lunar Month
Folk taboos for offerings on the Full Moon and the first day of the lunar month, from choosing fruit and flowers to the incense burner and a reverent mindset.
When did Bát Tràng ceramics first appear, and what steps go into making them?
Bát Tràng pottery appears in written records from the 14th century; this article traces its history and the steps from clay to kiln.
Why Vietnamese worship on the first day of the lunar month: the meaning of the Sóc day in folk belief
The Sóc day opens the lunar month. Vietnamese worship ancestors and deities for a smooth month, a custom rooted in yin-yang philosophy.
Year-end altar cleansing (bao sái bàn thờ): which day, who does it, and what is the sequence?
Year-end altar cleaning in Vietnam is usually done after the Kitchen Gods rite and before New Year's Eve, by the householder, in three steps.
How to Arrange the Mid-Autumn Festival Offering Tray
A detailed step-by-step guide on preparing offerings and arranging the Mid-Autumn Festival tray according to Vietnamese traditions.
How Does Worshipping Thần Tài at a Company or Shop Differ from at Home?
At shops and at home, Thần Tài shares a low shrine near the door with Ông Địa; shops make offerings every morning on opening. Origins and open debates.
How to Prepare the New Year's Eve Offering Tray (Tet) According to Customs
A guide to preparing New Year's Eve offerings, arranging the outdoor and indoor trays by Vietnamese custom, with safety notes and regional differences.
Going to the Pagoda at the Start of the Year: What Offerings to Prepare and Which Altar to Worship First?
What to bring to a Vietnamese pagoda at New Year: incense, flowers, fruit and other vegetarian offerings, and which altar to pay respects at first.
How to Arrange the Worship Tray for Tết Đoan Ngọ (5th day of 5th lunar month)
Tết Đoan Ngọ worship tray guide: offerings like fermented rice and tro cakes, step-by-step arrangement following regional customs, plus safety notes.
How to perform a proper opening ceremony offering for shops and companies
A step-by-step guide to shop and company opening ceremony offerings, from preparing the tray to the ritual sequence, with safety notes.
Which Day Is Best for the Rằm tháng 7 Offering and What Should You Note? A Full Guide Following Vietnamese Custom
Rằm tháng 7 is when families make offerings to the Buddha, deities, ancestors and wandering souls, with guidance on timing, the tray and what to avoid.
What offerings does a new car blessing include and what is the traditional sequence?
A new car blessing usually has flowers, fruit, roast pork or chicken or a vegetarian tray, salt, rice, wine, tea and votive paper, set before the car.
How to Worship and Visit Ancestral Graves During Thanh Minh (Qingming) Festival
Thanh Minh is when descendants clean ancestral graves and offer rituals. This guide covers offerings, step-by-step procedures, prayers, and safety notes.
Lost Items and the Ông Địa Prayer: The Vietnamese Custom of Finding Lost Things, Divination Sticks, and What to Do First When Something Goes Missing
When something goes missing, many Vietnamese families pray to Ông Địa, the Earth God, promising an offering if it turns up. Search first, then try the ritual.
The Giay People: Where They Live, Their Language, Worship Customs and Main Festivals
The Giay live mainly in Lào Cai, Hà Giang and Lai Châu, speak a Thai-Kadai language, and keep an altar with three incense bowls.
How to Arrange the Year-End Tất Niên Offering Tray: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to preparing offerings and arranging the Year-End Tất Niên tray per Vietnamese customs, with the prayer and key notes.
The Craft of Bronze Casting for Worship: A Century-Old Flame in Lộng Thượng, Y Yen, and Đại Bái
Bronze casting for worship in Lộng Thượng, Y Yen and Đại Bái: how three villages keep a centuries-old craft alive against industrial pressure.
How to Arrange the Family Altar According to Feng Shui and Customs
A detailed guide to arranging the family altar by feng shui and custom, covering placement, offerings, and steps for Tet and regular days.
Should Thanh Minh Offerings Be Made at Home First or at the Grave First According to Custom?
Vietnam's Thanh Minh custom often means tending graves first, then offering to ancestors at home; this examines origins, sequence and exceptions in old texts.
Visiting the Thăng Long Tu Tran Temples at the Start of Spring: The Order of the Four Temples, What to Pray at Each One, and the Mistakes First-Timers Often Make
A guide to the Thăng Long Tu Tran spring pilgrimage: the order of the four temples, what to pray at each, and mistakes first-timers often make.
What must be prepared for a yearly giỗ thường (cát kỵ) offering tray to make the rites complete?
Giỗ thường (cát kỵ) yearly rites need no full feast like giỗ đầu or giỗ hết. Core offerings: hương đèn, trầu cau, rượu trà, a bowl of upside-down rice.
How to Perform the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Building a House Properly
A guide to the Vietnamese groundbreaking ceremony: choosing an auspicious date, preparing offerings, and the ritual steps.
Dinh Thầy Thím Festival (Tế Thu Ceremony, Thầy Thím Death Anniversary) from the 14th to the 16th of the Ninth Lunar Month: Rituals and the Legend of Thầy Thím
Dinh Thầy Thím Festival runs from the 14th to the 16th of the Ninth Lunar Month with spirit welcoming, cộ bánh offerings, Thỉnh sanh, and Tiền hiền rites.
Why Do Vietnamese Hold Annual Death Anniversaries and What Does the Day of Gio Mean
The gio day is an annual memorial rite held on the lunar death date of a family member. This article explains its origin, meaning, and how it is understood.
Offering at a death anniversary from far away: the Vietnamese customs of gửi giỗ and cúng vọng
Cúng giỗ vọng and gửi giỗ: per Toan Ánh, those far from home send offerings to the head of the family and also make an offering from afar.
What offerings go on the đại tường memorial tray and how is mourning ended?
Giỗ hết đại tường marks the end of two years of mourning. It covers the offering tray, how to arrange it, and the sequence for xả tang in Vietnamese custom.
Ancestor Worship of Vietnamese People: Origins, Norms, and What Has Changed
Ancestor worship is a long-standing Vietnamese custom, a moral standard, and a key part of spiritual life, with altars, death anniversaries, and Tet rituals.
Can You Celebrate the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month on the 13th or 14th, and Where Does the Early Offering Custom Come From?
Is offering the First Full Moon on the 13th or 14th lunar day acceptable, where does the early custom come from, and what should the tray include?
Vegetarian death anniversary offering tray: when should you hold a vegetarian giỗ and what dishes go on it?
A vegetarian giỗ uses plant dishes like gỏi cuốn, canh kiểm, bánh bèo and lẩu nấm, fitting when the deceased ate chay or the family follows Buddhism.
Year-End Offering in Three Regions: Dates, Offering Trays and Meaning
Cúng tất niên is the year-end offering that thanks the ancestors and sees off the old year: the day, the trays of three regions, the prayer and its meaning.
Family Altars: How Northern and Southern Vietnamese Arrangements Differ
Northern and Southern Vietnamese family altars differ in structure, arrangement, generations honored and five-fruit tray choices.
What to Bring to a Giỗ and How to Invite Guests Properly
What to bring to a giỗ and how to invite guests: gifts for the altar, who is invited, and how customs differ between families and regions of Vietnam.
Fire Jumping Festival - Sacred Shamanic Ritual of the Pà Thẻn People
The Fire Jumping Festival of the Pà Thẻn people is a sacred shamanic ritual seeking the fire god's protection, with barefoot jumps on glowing embers.