The event, held annually on the eighth day of the first lunar month, is one of the two most important rituals of the sect in a year to pay respect for the Great Father and pray for good weather, bumper crops and peace.

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Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church

This year’s event attracted the participation of dozens of thousands of locals, and Cao Dai followers in and outside the country.

An exhibition of 31 models featuring national construction through periods as well as ancient heroes and legends was kicked off the same day. Those include su tich trau cau (the legend of betel and areca), Co Loa citadel and Lac Long Quan and Au Co. The models are on display until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or February 19.

The same day’s evening will be a dance of Long Ma (a legendary creature which is half horse and half dragon) and Tu Linh (the four holy beasts) and a performance of Sac Toc music, followed by a worshipping ceremony for the Great Father.

Founded in 1926 in Tay Ninh province, the Cao Dai religion worships the Divine Eye, known as the eye of heaven and a symbol of its supreme being. Cao Dai’s doctrine honours the Divine and the miraculous quality of supreme spirits, and considers them as the means for human beings to unify with the God.

Cao Dai is one of the major religions in Vietnam, with 10,000 dignitaries and 2.5 million followers in Vietnam and 30,000 abroad. The religion has 1,300 places of worship in 37 cities and provinces nationwide.

Source: VNA