The Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam has directed allagencies at localities throughout the country to enhance the Party'sability to guide management and organisation of spring festivals.
Festivalsshould be organised at the lowest cost possible, and aim to develop thecountry's fine customs, according to the Party. They should alsoeducate younger generations.
Party members and officials should act as good examples at festivals by following local regulations.
Localitieswere urged to cut down the number and frequency of festivals, limit theuse of State budget allowances and encourage private organisations tofund them instead.
Officials will make more efforts to curbwidespread festival practices with negative impacts like burning toomuch "vang ma" (joss paper or ghost money) and selling small bills forprofit.
Festival management boards were also asked to ensure thepreservation of relics and keep social order; control fires; and ensurefood safety, traffic safety and hygiene at the festivals.
The price of services at festivals should be written down publicly to assure no visitors are cheated.
TheMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with other agencies, hascreated new regulations to improve the organisation of upcomingfestivals.
Calligraphy exams were held for the first time everat Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). Only calligraphers who passedthe exams held last week will be allowed to offer calligraphy-writingservices at the temple.
According to Tran Quoc Chi, deputy headof the UNESCO Calligraphy Club, they were looking to protect customers'rights, as well as calligraphers'.
There will be nearly 100calligraphers offering their services at the site for the Year of theGoat Spring Calligraphy Festival from February 8 to March 5.
VanMieu-Quoc Tu Giam Scientific and Cultural Activities Centre and theVietnam UNESCO Calligraphy Club organised the event.
The Tet custom of calligraphy has been preserved by festivals exhibitingthe art during the holidays. Visitors often ask for nice words writtenin calligraphy, hoping for good health, prosperity and luck. They'reoften used as decorations as well.
Calligraphy hastaken place for almost a decade on the pavement along Van Mieu Street, which often causes congestion during the busy last days of the year.Starting last year, the Ha Noi Culture, Sports and Tourism Departmentdecided to relocate the calligraphers to nearby Van Lake to ensure orderand traffic safety.
The Ministry of Culture, Sportsand Tourism has issued a document urging local authorities to moreclosely control the "uncultured" use of small banknote as offerings atfestivals and spiritual venues.
Small notes – 200, 500,1,000 and 5,000 VND – should not be put at Buddha statues or altars, orother sacred places. Small-notes exchange services also needed to berestricted, the ministry said.
The State Bank ofVietnam has recently announced it won't print any more notes under 5,000VND, which will save the State 171 billion VND (8.1 million USD).
"People often offer small-value notes at many temples and pagodas, andbelieve that the more small notes they give, the more they getprotection from the Buddha," said Nguyen Hung Vi, who researches folkculture.
"This practice does not suit Buddhist norms.People can donate objects to monks or money to renovate pagodas. Butputting bank notes on altars, Buddha and saints statues and other placesin the worshipping places is wrong. It hurts monks and holy figures."
Pham Xuan Phuc, a Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism official, said that to stop people from scattering small notesduring festival season this year, local authorities and concernedagencies should join in the process more actively and fine moreviolators.
"Besides, we should enhance people's awareness of Buddhism so that they follow correct practices," Phuc said.
There are around 8,000 festivals held across the country, 90 percent ofwhich are traditional festivals, mostly taking place in spring andautumn. They are considered the most beautiful, and they afford farmersthe most free time.
Many practices that are consideredrude have been banned in the last couple years, including gambling,burning votive paper and offering small notes at religious sites.-VNA
Festivalsshould be organised at the lowest cost possible, and aim to develop thecountry's fine customs, according to the Party. They should alsoeducate younger generations.
Party members and officials should act as good examples at festivals by following local regulations.
Localitieswere urged to cut down the number and frequency of festivals, limit theuse of State budget allowances and encourage private organisations tofund them instead.
Officials will make more efforts to curbwidespread festival practices with negative impacts like burning toomuch "vang ma" (joss paper or ghost money) and selling small bills forprofit.
Festival management boards were also asked to ensure thepreservation of relics and keep social order; control fires; and ensurefood safety, traffic safety and hygiene at the festivals.
The price of services at festivals should be written down publicly to assure no visitors are cheated.
TheMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with other agencies, hascreated new regulations to improve the organisation of upcomingfestivals.
Calligraphy exams were held for the first time everat Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). Only calligraphers who passedthe exams held last week will be allowed to offer calligraphy-writingservices at the temple.
According to Tran Quoc Chi, deputy headof the UNESCO Calligraphy Club, they were looking to protect customers'rights, as well as calligraphers'.
There will be nearly 100calligraphers offering their services at the site for the Year of theGoat Spring Calligraphy Festival from February 8 to March 5.
VanMieu-Quoc Tu Giam Scientific and Cultural Activities Centre and theVietnam UNESCO Calligraphy Club organised the event.
The Tet custom of calligraphy has been preserved by festivals exhibitingthe art during the holidays. Visitors often ask for nice words writtenin calligraphy, hoping for good health, prosperity and luck. They'reoften used as decorations as well.
Calligraphy hastaken place for almost a decade on the pavement along Van Mieu Street, which often causes congestion during the busy last days of the year.Starting last year, the Ha Noi Culture, Sports and Tourism Departmentdecided to relocate the calligraphers to nearby Van Lake to ensure orderand traffic safety.
The Ministry of Culture, Sportsand Tourism has issued a document urging local authorities to moreclosely control the "uncultured" use of small banknote as offerings atfestivals and spiritual venues.
Small notes – 200, 500,1,000 and 5,000 VND – should not be put at Buddha statues or altars, orother sacred places. Small-notes exchange services also needed to berestricted, the ministry said.
The State Bank ofVietnam has recently announced it won't print any more notes under 5,000VND, which will save the State 171 billion VND (8.1 million USD).
"People often offer small-value notes at many temples and pagodas, andbelieve that the more small notes they give, the more they getprotection from the Buddha," said Nguyen Hung Vi, who researches folkculture.
"This practice does not suit Buddhist norms.People can donate objects to monks or money to renovate pagodas. Butputting bank notes on altars, Buddha and saints statues and other placesin the worshipping places is wrong. It hurts monks and holy figures."
Pham Xuan Phuc, a Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism official, said that to stop people from scattering small notesduring festival season this year, local authorities and concernedagencies should join in the process more actively and fine moreviolators.
"Besides, we should enhance people's awareness of Buddhism so that they follow correct practices," Phuc said.
There are around 8,000 festivals held across the country, 90 percent ofwhich are traditional festivals, mostly taking place in spring andautumn. They are considered the most beautiful, and they afford farmersthe most free time.
Many practices that are consideredrude have been banned in the last couple years, including gambling,burning votive paper and offering small notes at religious sites.-VNA
