Raising the Tet pole at Hue heritage site

The pole-raising ceremony was reenacted according to the rituals that were performed under the Nguyen Dynasty, signaling the beginning of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Artists of the Hue Royal Traditional Arts Theater "play" the roles of guards and Nguyen Dynasty mandarins to perform the rituals of the pole-raising ceremony.

The pole is about 20 meters long, straight and beautiful, and is carried by guards from Hien Nhon gate (east of Hue Imperial Citadel) to Trieu Mieu and The Mieu relics.

The procession is solemnly recreated with ancient court rituals and music.

Before erecting the pole, the Board of Directors of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center will preside over the worship ceremony. The worshiping tray is decorated with traditional symbolic offerings such as: bananas, roast pig, sticky rice, betel and areca nuts, fruits, tea, wine, etc.

After the ceremony, the soldiers dug the ground, pulled the rope and skillfully used their strength to erect the pole.

At the top of the pole is hung a box containing seals, parallel sentences, and red cloth banners according to the rituals of the Royal Palace under the Nguyen Dynasty.

The pole-raising ceremony was held first at Trieu Mieu relic, which is the place to worship Nguyen Kim, the father of Lord Tien Nguyen Hoang.

At Hien Lam Cac, the tallest structure of Hue Imperial City is the relic space of The Mieu - a place to worship Nguyen Dynasty kings, this place also preserves the national treasure Nine Tripod Cauldrons.

The pole-raising ceremony is often held by the Hue Monuments Conservation Center on the 23rd of December to preserve and conserve the cultural values ​​of the ancient royal court as well as create highlights and cultural products for tourists. In the photo, a Korean tourist is filming the pole-raising ceremony at Hien Lam Pavilion.