500 Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City Dressed Up to Parade Before the Lunar New Year

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Discover Cholon Chinatown Ho Chi Minh in the special time of the year 

Nghia An Assembly Hall worships Quan Thanh De Quan (Quan Cong) – a character of the Three Kingdoms period with a loyal heart and heroic spirit. Every year, the Assembly Hall has two biggest festivals: Nguyen Tieu Festival and Quan Cong Festival on January 13 and June 24 of the lunar calendar. According to the concept, this is the birthday and sainthood day of Quan Cong, so they are the two most important worshiping ceremonies.

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Photo by Jackfruit Adventure

Mr. Tran Vu, Head of the Assembly Hall, said that in previous years, the ceremony was only held on a small scale, with no parade. For the past two years, street parades have taken place to preserve and develop traditional cultural festivals of the Chinese community in Saigon.

The activity is part of a series of events to celebrate the Nguyen Tieu Giap Thin Festival 2024. Nguyen Tieu Tet, also known as Thuong Nguyen Tet, held on the full moon day of January, is an occasion for people to pray for peace, relieve drought, and hope for a peaceful year.

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Photo by Jackfruit Adventure

Departing at 8:00 AM from Nghia An Assembly Hall on Nguyen Trai Street, the parade passes through Tan Da – Tran Hung Dao – Phung Hung – Hai Thuong Lan Ong – Do Ngoc Thach – Nguyen Trai – Chau Van Liem – Lao Tzu – Luong Nhu Hoc and returned to the starting point.

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The statue of Quan Cong is carried in procession for a distance of nearly 5 km for everyone to admire. The statue is about one meter high, sitting on a gilded chair, hundreds of years old.
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According to the head of the association, the procession of the Quan Thanh De Quan statue means praying for peace in the country and people, good weather and wind, and a prosperous and happy life for all families and a prosperous society.
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At Wen Lang Assembly Hall on Lao Tzu Street, groups of lions and dragons stopped to dance for about 3 minutes. The parade schedule passes through temples and Chinese assembly halls with the meaning of connecting and creating community solidarity.
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A group of young people transformed into the image of a red bull horse – Quan Cong’s war horse.
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People on both sides of the road rushed out to welcome the procession. Many people carried incense and clasped their hands in prayer as the Quan Cong statue passed by.
cholon chinatown vietnam
At 9:30, the statue of Quan Thanh De Quan was brought back to Nghia An Assembly Hall.
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Many people burned incense, prayed, and asked for good fortune after the Quan Cong statue was placed back on the altar in the assembly hall.
Nghia An Assembly Hall, also known as Ong Pagoda and Quan De Temple, is an assembly hall of Chaozhou and Hakka people who came to Vietnam to live, built around the early 19th century. According to 2019 population statistics, there are about 750,000 Chinese people living in Vietnam, of which more than 500,000 are in Ho Chi Minh City. Chinese people in the city are concentrated in districts 5, 6, 8, 10 and 11.
At Jackfruit Adventure, we have created an insider trip toe explore Cholon Chinatown City Tour through the journey of Quach Dam. Join us for a fun Ho Chi Minh City Cycling Tour to explore more about what is a real Saigon Vietnam is about.

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