The central province of Thua Thien – Hue held a ceremony to pray for favourable weather, bumper crops, and peace and prosperity for people on March 22, attracting domestic and foreign tourists and locals.
“Le te Xa Tac” event (worshipping two genies of the wet rice cultivation – Earth and Crop) includes rituals such as incense offering, Genie procession, and royal oration reading.
Director of the Hue Relics Preservation Centre Phan Thanh Hai said the ceremony is important traditional rites in the country, which was observed in Spring annually by feudal dynasties.
Under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), the ceremony was held biannually in Spring and Autumn, and it was listed among the most important events, only after “Nam Giao” worshipping.
As time goes by, the event is now only re-enacted and preserved in the imperial city of Hue and has become a unique cultural feature of the province.
“Xa Tac” ritual was revived in 2008 to serve the Hue Festival. Since then, it is held annually in Spring and draws a large crowd of visitors both at home and abroad.