Pilgrimage season

Every year in the seventh lunar month, An Giang becomes a spiritual destination for many pilgrims who come to many pagodas to worship and visit.

Cam Mountain is a place that attracts many pilgrims. Photo: MY LINH

Tourists flock to Bay Nui

Early in the morning, crowds of people head to the Bay Nui area - a place where many mountains with beautiful natural landscapes and many sacred pagodas gather to make pilgrimages, praying for good things and peace. Known as the "roof of the West", at this time, Cam Mountain is welcoming pilgrimage groups from all over the place with a sincere heart towards Buddha. During the pilgrimage months, Cam Mountain is always a destination chosen by many people because this place not only has a giant Maitreya Buddha statue, majestic Van Linh Pagoda but also has cool air, a quiet scene that helps people feel peaceful and calm.

Burning incense at Van Linh Pagoda, Mr. Le Van Nam, a resident of Cu Lao Gieng Commune, shared: “Every year in the 7th lunar month, I and a few close friends in the neighborhood visit the pagoda in Bay Nui, go up to Cam Mountain, then go around Tinh Bien Ward, Thoi Son Ward to visit the pagodas, communal houses, and shrines there to pray for peace for my family, relatives, and to remember my deceased parents”. Ms. Le Thi Thanh Tuyen, a resident of Long Xuyen Ward, said: “Every year I take my 2 children to the pagoda in Cam Mountain. I don’t pray for much, I just hope for peace for my family, for my children to be healthy and well-behaved. In addition to worshiping Buddha, I also take my children out to play before starting the new school year”. As a frequent pilgrim to the Bay Nui area, Mr. Nguyen Van Tong, residing in Dong Thap province, said: "The reason why pilgrimage groups always choose Bay Nui in An Giang province as their destination is because there are many temples and pagodas associated with oral stories advising people to cultivate their minds, look back at themselves, and advise themselves to live well."

Not only the Bay Nui area, the pagodas in Vinh Te ward also attract a large number of pilgrims. Besides the famous Ba Chua Xu temple on Sam mountain, which attracts many tourists all year round, in the 7th lunar month, many pilgrims also visit Tay An and Phuoc Dien pagodas to offer incense and worship Buddha. With a cool green landscape, located on the slopes of Sam mountain, Phuoc Dien pagoda is a place chosen by pilgrims to worship, combine sightseeing, and experience the vast, peaceful scenery of the border region. Ms. Pham Thi Thu Trang, living in Can Tho city , said: "Every time I come to Phuoc Dien pagoda, I feel like all my worries are lifted. In the 7th lunar month, there is Vu Lan festival, so I visit many other pagodas to pray for my parents' health and family harmony."

Journey back to the simple things

For pilgrims, offerings at temples are usually not too elaborate, without lavish feasts, many people choose to offer flowers, incense, pray, and do charity to show their devotion to Buddha. Ms. Thuy, residing in Vinh Te ward, shared: “In the seventh lunar month, I do not go far, I only visit temples in the area, near my house, I teach my children to save money and put it in the piggy bank to do charity, sowing good karma for the children”.

The pilgrimage season is also the business season for fruit and flower stalls near pagodas, markets in the Bay Nui area or Chau Doc market. Ms. Hien, a fruit vendor at Chau Doc market, said: “In the seventh lunar month, there are three or four times more pilgrims and mountain visitors than usual, and they travel in groups. Some go to worship Buddha, some go to pick traditional medicine or visit beautiful landscapes… At this time, fruit and flower vendors do very well.”

During the seventh lunar month, on the full moon day, volunteer activities at pagodas in the Bay Nui area in particular and in the province in general also take place vigorously. Some places distribute free vegetarian meals to pilgrims, some cook and serve free meals to tourists visiting the pagodas... For those participating in volunteer activities, cooking rice, noodles, making vegetarian pancakes... to serve pilgrims, tourists, and pagoda visitors is a joy, as a way to sow good karma in life.

Pilgrimage in July is not only an activity of going to the temple, worshiping Buddha but also a journey back to the simple, honest things in each person's heart. In July, there is Vu Lan festival, showing filial piety. During this month, every child always wants to do good things to pray for their parents' health and peace. With positive meanings, pilgrimage in July in An Giang is considered a harmony between faith and life. Each step of pilgrimage not only brings people to the Buddha's door but also brings them closer to the good things in life. Therefore, in order for pilgrimages to be truly civilized and meaningful, propaganda activities against superstition, maintaining public hygiene, and preserving good cultural features need to be focused on and promoted.

MY LINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/mua-hanh-huong-a427499.html