Culture - Sports

Once-a-year market offers luck for sale

From the afternoon of the 7th day of the first lunar month (February 22), people flock to the northern province of Nam Dinh for a unique market which is held only once a year to sell - guess what - bad luck as well as to buy good luck for the year to come.
Once-a-year market offers luck for sale ảnh 1The Vieng market opened at midnight of the 7th day and lasted only through the morning of the 8th day (Photo VNA)

Nam Dinh (VNA) – From the afternoon of the 7th day of the firstlunar month (February 22), people flock to the northern province of Nam Dinhfor a unique market which is held only once a year to sell - guess what - badluck as well as to buy good luck for the year to come.

The Vieng market opened at midnight of the 7th day and lasted only through themorning of the 8th day.

According to popular belief, anything bought at the market would bring goodluck to the buyer to the whole year.

The spring market displays handicraft products, genuine antiquities along withtheir fake, home utensils, tools for agricultural production, and many kinds ofornamental plants. Specialties are grilled veal and "banh day"(sticky rice cake).

The cheapest things at Vieng market are flowers and tree sapplings, which bringboth the buyer and seller happiness and luck.

Visitors then can go on to pray for a happy new year a several local temples.

There are four Vieng markets in Nam Dinh province, with one in Nam Giang township,Nam Truc district, and the other in Trung Thanh commune, Vu Ban district, beingmost popular.

The market in Nam Truc district is famous for the Dai Bi pagoda where Buddhist Monkand Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh is worshipped, while the other in Vu Ban district ishome to the Phu Day relics complex dedicated to Goddess Lieu Hanh – one of fourimmortals in Vietnamese legends.

The Phu Day historical and cultural relics complex was recognised as thenational cultural heritage in 1975. “Practices Related to the Viet Beliefs inthe Mother Goddesses in Three Realms" was named an Intangible CulturalHeritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in April, 2017. - VNA
VNA
#northern province of Nam Dinh #Vieng market #buy good luck #handicraft products #genuine antiquities #ome utensils #tools for agricultural production #ornamental plants #happiness #UNESCO #intangible cultural heritage of humanity #Vietnamplus #Vietnam News Agency Nam Dinh
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