Saint Tran’s rice distribution and seal-opening ceremony held in Ninh Binh
(VOVWORLD) - Ninh Binh kicked off the year’s major festivals on Monday, the 14th day of the 1st lunar month, by holding the Rice Distribution Festival at the Special National Historical Site of Tran Thuong Temple.
 Performing the rice and water procession rituals to Tran Thuong Temple (Photo: Dai Nghia) |
In the 13th century, on his way to fight Yuan-Mongol invaders, General Tran Quoc Tuan (1226–1300) ordered the construction of six food storage depots at this site to supply the army and support military campaigns in the area.
During the Later Le Dynasty (1428–1789), to preserve the remains of the rice depots and honor the great contributions of General Tran Quoc Tuan and other Tran Dynasty generals, local residents built a temple on the foundation of the former storage site, naming it Tran Thuong temple.
The festival is an occasion for praying for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, bumper harvests, and abundant blessings. It preserves and promotes traditional culture while expressing aspirations for a prosperous and sustainably developing country.
 Performing the rice procession ritual to Tran Thuong Temple (Photo: Dai Nghia) |
The Spring 2026 Seal Opening Ceremony also took place on Monday at the Special National Historical and Cultural Relic Site of Tran Temple. The Seal Opening Ceremony pays tribute to ancestors and commemorates the great contributions of the Tran Dynasty to national construction and defense. It’s also an opportunity to promote cultural values and boost the local economy.
The ceremony begins with an incense-offering ritual at the Trung Thien altar in Thien Truong temple, followed by a palanquin procession to carry the seal from Co Trach temple—dedicated to National Hero Tran Hung Dao—to Thien Truong temple.