Worship of National Mother in Vinh Phuc recognised as national intangible cultural heritage

The worship of Tay Thien National Mother in Tam Dao district, northern Vinh Phuc province, has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The locality held a ceremony on March 8 to announce the decision by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Along with the worship of the Hung Kings – the legendary founders of the nation, and Tan Vien Son Thanh – the God of Tan Vien Mountain, the worship of Tay Thien National Mother is one of the three most ancient rituals in the north.

The ceremony presenting the national intangible cultural heritage certificate on March 8 (Photo: vinhphuc.gov.vn)
The ceremony presenting the national intangible cultural heritage certificate on March 8 (Photo: vinhphuc.gov.vn)

Legend has it that under the reign of the seventh Hung King in Dong Lo there was a rich man called Lang Vi. He was generous and handsome. His wife was Dao Thi Lieu – a beautiful, gentle, resourceful and benevolent woman. They were very rich but didn’t have a child, so they often visited holy sites to pray for a child. One day they visited Thach Ban peak in the Tam Dao mountains and prayed for a child at a pagoda. 

After the third time, Lieu had a dream in which she saw a five-coloured mass of clouds covering the pagoda and releasing a scent. In the middle of the clouds appeared an eagle and then a group of beautiful fairies playing lutes, singing and dancing. Lieu suddenly woke up from the dream which she believed was good luck, and indeed she became pregnant. She gave birth on the 10th day of the fifth lunar month of the year of Giap Than, and named her child Lang Thi Tieu.

When Tieu was small, she was a precocious talent. By the time she reached 20, she was known as a talented and admirable heroine. Following an invasion, the Hung King ordered Lang Thi Tieu to recruit 3,000 soldiers. The king gave her more troops and horses and she defeated the enemy. Returning home in triumph, she was asked to enter the court. But she refused the king’s request and asked for permission to return to her hometown to take care of her parents. The king agreed, conferring the title “Tam Dao Son Tru Quoc Mau” (Tam Dao National Mother) and allowed her to rule Dong Lo.

After her parents passed away, she went to the Tay Thien pagoda on Thach Ban peak to pray to Buddha. On the way home the next day, she felt tired and took a break. It suddenly got dark. From a mass of five-coloured clouds an angel appeared and said: “The Heavenly Emperor ordered you to come back to Heaven, princess!” Then she washed herself carefully, followed the angel into the clouds and disappeared. It was the 15th day of the second lunar month. After she returned to Heaven, people in Dong Lo and surrounding areas built a temple to worship her.

Tay Thien is held annually from the 15th to the 17th day of the second lunar month to commemorate Mother Goddess Lang Thi Tieu. The site is located in Tam Dao district and was recognised as a special national historical relic site in December 2015.

VNA

Other News

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

For the MICE tourism sector in both Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, growth can no longer be driven merely by increasing the number of events; instead, the focus must shift to enhancing the value of each event and the competitiveness of each destination.

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism effectiveness should be measured not only by visitor numbers and revenue, but also by spending, length of stay, repeat visits, job quality, visitor satisfaction and environmental carrying capacity, said experts.

Vietnam welcomes nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam tourism maintains strong growth, expands international markets

The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.