According to historians, they are the only Buddhist woodblocks of prayers belonging to Truc Lam Buddhist Zen, an outstanding Zen sect of Vietnamese Buddhism. They are also an extensive and diverse documentary heritage of the history of Buddhism and the religious thoughts and culture of the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen. They also document the history of woodblock carving and the printing industry as well as the biography and career of several eminent monks who contributed greatly to the development of the country’s culture.

Apart from their historical value, the woodblocks are a valuable documentary source for studying the early days of the Vietnamese language and Demotic scripts.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the woodblocks, which were carved in Han (Chinese) or Demotic scripts on wooden boards, were recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national historical and cultural heritage – grade A in 1964.

Sitting on a site of over 10,000m² in Tri Yen Commune, Yen Dung District, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was turned into a Zen monastery by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen, in the late 13th century.

After joining in early celebrations early on Sunday morning at Thien Mau Pagoda, thousands from the local and Chinese communities flocked to Ong Pagoda to join the rituals, ceremonies and palanquin processions. Other activities included music shows, traditional dance performances and dramas re-enacting legends of Buddhism and folklores.

On August 31 in temples around Phan Thiet, locals will continue rituals and an artistic program to worship skeletons of whales and pray for a good harvest and a better life. They will also hold a colorful lantern display and offering ceremony and release paper boats in the sea.

The highlight of the festival is the Quan Thanh De Quan procession with about 800 people accompanied with many folk performers on the city’s main streets. Performers walk on stilts, do dragon dances, and dress as religious characters.

The traditional Chinese festival goes for three days and is held once every two years.

Staged at the Xa Tac Worshipping Platform in the city’s Thuan Hoa District, the event included worship rituals celebrating the gods of land (Xa) and rice (Tac), which were of prime importance for thousands of years before the fall of feudalism.

Flags, palanquins, parasols and old weapons were part of the procession and it attended by 100 elderly patriarchs representing all of Thua Thien-Hue Province’s villages.

After three rounds of bells and drums, the procession set off at Thai Hoa Palace, which houses the throne, and made its way through Ngo Mon (main gate to the Forbidden City), Le Huan and Ngo Thi Nham streets to the Xa Tac Worshipping Platform.

The worship rituals began at the platform at 8pm and lasted for an hour, beginning with the washing of hands and then planting incense, welcoming genies, offering white gems, chanting eulogies, offering wine, removing offerings, sending genies off, and burning written eulogies.

In 1806, the Xa Tac Platform was built to the west of the citadel by Gia Long, the first king of Nguyen Dynasty, to worship rice and soil, the two most essential elements of wet-rice agriculture, according to historians.

Following the king’s orders, the raised platform was made of soil taken from every part of the country.

As one of the most important sanctuaries under the Nguyen Dynasty, it is on a par with Nam Giao Platform, which worships God. Other temples worship the dynasty’s ancestries and late kings of the dynasty.

During the Nguyen Dynasty, Xa Tac worship was staged twice a year in spring and autumn and conducted by kings to pray for favourable weather, good crops, peace and prosperity.

It was re-enacted for the first time two years ago at the biennial Hue Festival.

Vu The Binh from the Department of Travel said the matter would be discussed with airlines and hotels, the two most important services of the program. If the companies agree with the extension, the department will make it happen.

“I think the tourism sector needs to lengthen the program because the sector has not recovered yet. However, hoteliers and airline service providers have their own views and business plans so that we need to have a further discussion,” he said.

Under the program, Vietnam Airlines, hotels and related service providers are helping tour operators to offer special package tour prices to local tourists. From February to October, around 11,000 domestic travelers bought package tours by air under the promotion.

Binh said entrepreneurs needed to see the promotion program as a way to increase business in the low season only and not as a way to attract local tourists.

“Businesses, both tour operators and other relevant service providers, need to improve services to attract tourists. Lower rates cannot attract tourists in the long tern without improving services,” he said.

However, the country’s tourism sector has seen the potential of domestic tourism via the program. Local tourists are on the rise while foreign arrivals are declining.

“We are planning to combine with local tourist service providers to improve services for these important guests instead of focusing on services for international tourists,” Binh said.

The national tourism authority estimates that 25 million local people will travel this year, around five million more than last year and more than this year’s expectation.