The Hue Nam Palace Festival is a significant spiritual and cultural event for the people of Hue, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the Mother Goddess worship, a belief recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Through activities such as traditional costume performances, folk art presentations, and hau dong (spirit-mediumship rituals), the festival honors women’s role in Vietnam’s spiritual life.
The festival is held annually in two main sessions in the central city of Hue. The spring ceremony occurs in the third lunar month, and the autumn rite in the seventh lunar month, as reflected in the folk saying, “The Father’s celebration in the seventh month, the Mother’s in the third.”
Most recently, on April 18 and 19, the Hue Nam Palace Festival took place in Hue, drawing large crowds of locals, devotees, and visitors. It is one of the most representative Mother Goddess festivals in central Vietnam, dedicated to the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na.
