Thay and Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival

The procession of the tablets takes place on March 7, in which all the four villages - Thuy Khe, Da Phuc, Sai Khe and Khanh Tan - take part. The local population believes that Tu Dao Hanh first learned supernatural powers and became a genius, and at a later time, embraced Buddhism. Therefore at the start of the procession, his tablets must be wrapped in a piece of yellow cloth (the colour of the robes worn by priests endowed with supernatural powers) and, on the return trip the same tablets should be wrapped in the brown frock of a Buddhist monk. In the course of the procession, Buddhist nuns walk while recounting the feats of Tu Dao Hanh, first in learning supernatural magic and then in leading a religious Buddhist life. The procession proceeds at a very slow pace, and usually comes back to the pagoda late at night. This timing is considered as propitious as it is the time when night takes over from day, when darkness and night come into contact with each other. The order of the procession also has variations with specific significance. At the start of the procession, the tablet of the Spirit Protector and the Red Horse of Thuy Khe village must come first, then follows the tablet of the Spirit Protector and the White Horse of Da Phue village, then the tablet of the respective Spirit Protectors of Sai Khe and Khanh Tan villages, and at the end comes the tablet of 'Tu Dao Hanh. The tablet of the Spirit Protector of each village is carried by people of the village concerned, while that of Tu Dao Hanh is carried by four people appointed by the four villages. During the return trip, the tablet of the Spirit Protector and the White Horse of Da Phuc village must come first, to be followed by the tablet of the Spirit Protector and the Red Horse of Thuy Khe village, while the order with respect to the remaining components of the procession remains unchanged. The above change in the precedence of the Red and White horses is connected with a specific legend: when Tu Dao Hanh promised to reincarnate himself as the offspring of Sung Hien Hau (younger brother of King Ly Nhan Tong) he told Sung Hien Hau: "When your wife is giving birth, you must notify me immediately so that I can perform the due rites." As agreed, on that day, Sung Hien Hau ordered some horsemen to rush to the Pagoda for this purpose. 'The Red Horse reached the pagoda first and brought in the news, while on the return trip the White Horse outstripped the former and came home first.

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