In Vietnam, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the country's constitution. However, until recently, state authorities actively intervened in this area of ​​life. Perhaps that is why, according to official figures, more than 80% of Vietnamese citizens are considered non-believers. The world community actively criticized the existing situation in the country regarding religion. And now the situation has changed: according to opinion polls of international organizations, the majority of Vietnamese consider themselves adherents of some kind of faith. An interesting fact is that there is no "dominant" religion in the country, but quite a lot of different beliefs. It is even more interesting that some people in Vietnam mysteriously manage to believe in several gods at once.

Traditional religions

This term is customary to combine different beliefs associated with the deification of ancestors and spirits. For example, in Vietnam, they believe in the Mother Goddess, and there is also a cult of ancestors. Traditional religions are the most ancient, their echoes can be found in different countries the world. For example, in Russia it is customary to give part of the funeral treat to the deceased (a glass of vodka covered with a piece of bread or candy for the grave). This is an ancient tradition associated with the worship of the soul of the ancestors. And the Mother Goddess existed in many early religions of the world, for example, in Greek mythology she became Gaia, the goddess of the Earth and everything that is born on it.

In the homes of the Vietnamese, it is customary to ask questions and consult with the dead. There are so-called home altars associated with the veneration of the deceased. The Vietnamese believe that if they do not show respect for their ancestors, they can take offense and begin to take revenge. Interestingly, traditional beliefs can be combined with others. For example, a Vietnamese person may consider himself a Buddhist and at the same time pay tribute to the memory of deceased relatives according to the traditions of the ancestor cult. According to some reports, traditional religions are practiced by more than half of the Vietnamese.

Buddhism

This religion in Vietnam is the oldest and most widespread, after traditional beliefs. Even a tourist visiting the country for the first time will understand this by the presence of Buddha statues, which can be found almost everywhere. Now in Vietnam, as, indeed, throughout the world, there are several directions of this religion. The most common is Mahayana Buddhism. This direction arose in India, and from there it got to the territory of modern Vietnam as early as the 1st century BC.

Tourists will be interested to look at Buddhist temples and Buddha statues. Many of these religious buildings are impressive in their size, beauty or originality. The most famous statues and temples:

Christianity

In Vietnam, the Christian religion is mainly represented by Catholicism. In confirmation of this, one can see Catholic churches in different cities of the country. But there are also Orthodox Christians in Vietnam, including immigrants from Russia. Catholicism was brought to the country by the French, because this territory was under their colonial yoke. Catholics have a difficult relationship with the country's leadership: no one seems to oppress them, but they constantly put forward new demands to the authorities. Basically, the claims relate to the transfer of cultural objects from state property to the hands of the church. Protests sometimes go as far as clashes with security forces.

Islam

The Islamists of Vietnam have always lived somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. And although they observe religious traditions, go to mosques and honor the Koran, some rituals take place here in a peculiar way. For example, Ramadan lasts for Vietnamese Islamists for three days, and not a month, as for Muslims around the world. There are few mosques in the country, so ordinary tourists may not visit there.

Other religions

What other religion is there in Vietnam? There are many of them: there is in the country both Judaism and Confucianism, and new movements such as Caodai and Hoahao. The last two cults arose from a mixture of different religions: Christianity, Buddhism and others. It is believed that Caodai preaches more than 2 million people, but this is unofficial information.

Whoever you are by religion, having visited Vietnam, be sure to visit the temples with Buddha statues. This is one of the main attractions of the country. And do not give up the excursion, because you can learn a lot of interesting things about the peculiarities of Buddhism in Vietnam. Even if you are not interested in religion at all, the ancient pagodas with majestic statues will impress you!

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Vietnam myths and legends

The huge peninsula, which ends in Asia in the southeast, has long been called Indochina. Vietnam, which has an area stretched from north to south and occupies eastern part peninsula, is, in a figurative expression, "a balcony on Pacific Ocean". This is a maritime country, and the sea plays an important role in the life of the Vietnamese. Vietnam is located in the tropical zone, below plus ten mercury column never falls. The monsoons blowing here determine the alternation of dry and rainy, hot and cooler seasons. The inhabitants are constantly threatened by two disasters. : drought and flooding of rivers.

Vietnam is a multinational country ethnic composition it is compared to an unfolded fan, the center of which is the Vieta, which rallied other nationalities around them. Many legends are associated with the beginning of the Vietnamese statehood and the first founding sovereigns. The first ancestor of the Viet was, according to legend, Lak Long Kuan - the Sovereign Dragon Lak. In Vietnamese culture, the echoes of the maternal-clan system of society are clearly felt: the Dragon King Lak inherited his watery essence from his mother, who was the daughter of a dragon - the ruler of Lake Dongting, located in China. His father was Kinh Duong Vyong - the Sun ruler of Kinh. Lak Long Kuan bestowed on the eldest son the title of ruler of Hung (Hung - Courageous) and gave him the government of the country. It happened four thousand years ago. Hung ascended the throne and established the name of the state - Wanlang (Country of Tattooed People). The emperors of all subsequent reigns were also called Hung Vyongs - the rulers of the Hungas, there were eighteen of them. In the III century. BC e. the state of Aulak was formed, the successor of Wanlang. Having replaced the Hung princes, Thuk Fan, who received the throne name An Duong Vyong, stood at its head. The capital of Aulak was the Koloa fortress - Ulitka, a magnificent example of a fortification. To protect Koloa, a formidable, at that time, weapon was used - crossbows, capable of simultaneously releasing a large number of arrows with bronze tips.

The state of Aulak was located mainly on the territory of present-day North Vietnam and the northern part of Central Vietnam. However, after a while, Chinese rule was established in the country, which lasted for about a thousand years. The Vietnamese did not put up with him, a series of uprisings testifies to their desire to gain independence and freedom. Women were also at the head of major rebel movements. Thus, a major uprising (40-43 AD) against the domination of the Chinese Han dynasty was led by the Ching sisters. Their mother was widowed early and raised both daughters herself. She subsequently gave her daughters great help in organizing the rebel forces. There were many female military leaders among the Chung sisters' comrades-in-arms. It even came to curiosities. So, a certain man equipped a detachment of three hundred male rebels who took part in the uprising, disguised as women. It should be noted that the Viet were in close contact with neighboring peoples, many of whom are now part of the national minorities of modern Vietnam (this is especially true for such peoples as Meo, Muong, Lao, Banar, etc.). This long-term contact could not but lead to mutual cultural influence, which manifested itself, in turn, in the commonality of some mythological plots, in the vagueness of boundaries between the original Vietnamese works and works typical of other nationalities.

The idea of ​​cultural proximity of peoples South-East Asia has long been expressed by scientists. The French scientist P. Muss outlined the ancient "monsoon zone", which had a cultural community. It is a vast region that includes India, Indochina, Indonesia, its Oceanic fringes and, no doubt, South China. P. Muss considered the most characteristic of this region the cult of a chthonic deity, embodying all the fertility of the earth, all its inexhaustible productive forces and materializing initially in the form of a stone. The cult of the mountains is probably connected with the cult of the stone. The ancient Vieta believed that the state was protected by two mountains - Tanvien - Mount-Baldakhin and Tamdao - Three Summits. A mountain god lived on Mount Tanwien, and a female deity lived on Mount Tamdao. These were sacred mountains Wanlanga is the mountain-father and mountain-mother, one in the west, the other in the east. Four supernatural creatures: phoenix, dragon, turtle and unicorn (replaced here by the dragon horse). The legend of the wonderful sword was spread among the peoples of Southeast Asia. So, Ya. V. Chesnov, considering the cycle of myths about the sword, popular among the peoples of Eastern Indochina, notes that this cycle is characterized by a special combination of individual elements. The sword is correlated with the water element and the sky, has the essence of fire (sun) and is an instrument of dispensation. These main points are also characteristic of the Vietnamese legends about the sword, mostly associated with the personality of Le Loy, who led at the beginning of the fifteenth century. (1418-1428) fought against Chinese rule, restored the independence of Vietnam, founded the new Le dynasty and became its first emperor. According to legend, Le Loy, armed with a wonderful sword, has, as it were, the functions of an organizer who eliminates chaos (the domination of hostile forces) and restores space (the independence of the state). After defeating the enemies, the sword plunged into Hoan Kiem Lake - the Lake of the Returned Sword, located in Hanoi. Subsequently, a certain sparkling object, identified by people with a sword, left this lake and disappeared. After the sword was lost, disaster struck the country. This refers to the Teishon uprising (1788-1802), which was perceived by many contemporaries as a period of chaos. The disappearance of the miraculous weapon was a sign of future misfortunes. The mythical idea of ​​the sword as a tool for ordering space can be seen in the Siamese ritual. During a period of possible flooding, a solemn procession led by the king approached the river and the ruler struck the water with his sword. This action was supposed to curb the water element - to prevent flooding. In addition, it was associated with a ceremony symbolizing fertilization. The researcher of myths and rituals of Southeast Asia E. Pore-Maspero suggests that once on the Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi, ritual water games similar to playing at water festivals in Siam.

Perhaps the Vietnamese legend of the miraculous sword is a mythological description of this ritual. The role of the organizer of the cosmos is sometimes played by Manjushri - a deity of the Buddhist pantheon, one of whose characteristic attributes, whether we are talking about his graphic images or about the legends dedicated to him, is a sword in his right hand. In Tibetan iconography, this sword is fiery, blazing. On one of the illustrations for the Tangut woodcut of the XI century. The Prajnaparamita Sutra depicts Manjushri, who points with a sword to a snake protruding from a well. It can be assumed that this is meant to curb the "water animal" that personifies the water element. The legend in which Manjushri and his sword are associated with the "taming of water" is cited by the English researcher A. Getty. According to this legend, the territory where Nepal is now located was the bottom of a lake inhabited by water monsters. Manjushri struck several times with his sword at south coast lakes, water gushed through the holes obtained, and the bottom of the lake dried up. At this place, Nepal was formed. A version of the myth of how Manjushri created the earth from his own avatar, from a huge cosmic Golden Toad or Turtle, is cited by L. Ya. Sternberg. So, once the moment came for the creation of the earth. Manjushri emerged from the depths of the Turtle, assumed his own form, ascended into the air and shot an arrow at her. The killed animal sank to the bottom, forming the foot of the earth. The hero of the Vietnamese legend, Le Loy, also tried to pierce a huge turtle that had emerged on the surface of the lake with an arrow. It can be assumed that the Buddhist figure of Manjushri the organizer superimposed on the mythological hero who creates the world from water element with a wonderful sword. This myth was probably popular among the peoples of Southeast Asia. Buddhism, spreading on the territory of Indochina, used local beliefs, and gave a Buddhist interpretation to local deities and related events. Buddhism played an important role in the cultural development of Vietnam. It is very likely that this religion was brought directly from India by sea. Tran Van Ziap, a researcher of Vietnamese Buddhism, calls the early period - from the beginning of the 3rd century. until the end of the 7th century. - the triumph of Indian Buddhism. Along with Buddhism, some achievements of the cultures of India, Central Asia, and their folklore also penetrated into Vietnam. At the end of the VI century. In Vietnam, one of the Buddhist sects, Dhyana (Viet. Thien), became widespread. By the XI century. Buddhism flourished in Vietnam. The Thien school was of great importance for Vietnam, it was closely associated with the Chinese dhyana - the Ch'an school. Buddhism, to a certain extent, was the collector and guardian of the local folklore tradition. Some hagiographic stories, notes the researcher of Vietnamese literature N.I. Nikulin, have a folklore fairy-mythological basis, a mythological-legendary archetype shines through the Buddhist plot. In some legends, the characters of the Buddhist pantheon are more reminiscent of the evil spirits of local cults. For example, in the story "Statue of Zia Lama from an abandoned pagoda", the statue of Zya Lama, a Buddhist guardian spirit, turns out to be a kidnapper of other people's wives. For this he is destroyed as a malicious demon. A number of Vietnamese legends reflected the Buddhist idea of ​​rebirth. So, in the story "Inner Doctrine", the strange illness of Emperor Le Than Tong (ruled 1619-1643) of the Le dynasty was associated with an unusual illness that once struck another emperor - Li Than Tong (ruled 1128-1138) of the Li dynasty, who was believed to be , later reborn as Le Than Tonga. Vietnam belongs to the countries of the Far Eastern cultural region.

Neighborhood with the Chinese Empire, political and cultural contacts with it formed the peculiarities of Vietnamese culture. Already in the era of dependence on China (111 BC – 939 AD), the Vietnamese mastered the Chinese hieroglyphic writing. Hanwan, the Vietnamese version of the Chinese literary language, was written by Wenyan until the 20th century. There was also an original nom script in Vietnam, based on Chinese characters. It is not known when it appeared, presumably the time of its appearance is attributed to the X-XII centuries. Literature and ideology, and above all Confucianism, came to Vietnam along with language and writing. Already during the era of dependence, the Confucian canonical books began to be studied in the country. Confucianism was also planted by the Chinese governors, among whom Shi Tszyu (Viet. Si Niep) (187-226) was the most active. With the strengthening of the position of Confucianism, the characters of myths turned into historical heroes, and the events turned out to be tied to a certain time. The myth was thus included in the historical narrative. Vietnamese folklorist Nguyen Dong Ti gives examples of the transformation of Vietnamese myths under the influence of Confucianism. So, for example, the retinue of the mythical character Kinh Duong Vyong, the first ruler of the country of the South, included red evil demons Sich Kui, and according to the explanations of the Confuncians, it turned out that Sich Kui was the name of a country in the south ruled by Kinh Duong Vyong. Or another example. The villagers of Kaoda village in Hanam province worshiped the spirit of the cobra (ho mang). The belief may have traced back to ancient totemistic beliefs. According to later explanations, it turned out that Ho Mang is a person, comprehensively gifted, distinguished himself under the emperor of the Thuk dynasty (257-208 BC) and received the rank of general. In the religious and mythological system of the Vietnamese, the influence of Taoism is felt. So, Yu-huan - the Jasper lord, who headed the Taoist pantheon in China, appears in Vietnamese folklore under the name Ngoc hoang and appears as the supreme deity, usually restoring justice. His closest entourage consisted of spirits of all ranks, who communicated with the human world. Under the influence of Taoism, the cult of Chan Hung Dao (XIII century), a famous Vietnamese commander who participated in repelling the Sino-Mongol invasion, developed. Since 1300, his Jasper lord, on the left is the Ursa Major deity, on the right - the constellation of the Southern Cross, the cult began to take shape on a national scale. Gradually accumulating the functions of secondary guardian spirits, Chiang Hong Dao was revered as the main protector of the state, and in a broader aspect of folk religion - as a universal protector from evil forces.

In Vietnam, the cults of many spirits of the three worlds (heaven, earth, water), dating back to ancient shamanism, were widespread. The central place in these cults was occupied by the divine mothers - Thanh Mau. Beliefs in mother goddesses - mother saints associated with matriarchy, became widespread in Vietnam. These female deities were often anonymous, designated by generalized names: Thanh Mau - holy mother, Duc Ba - virtuous lady, Chua Ngoc - jasper princess. The concept of the holy mothers was based on a very ancient belief in the mother goddess, who was the source of all life. Later, first three mother goddesses appeared, and then a larger number of her avatars. All deities are presented as a personification of her qualities or as one of her local reincarnations. This is how many deities arose. The mythology of the innumerable spirits of the three worlds was strongly influenced by the Taoist world of the gods, organized like the Chinese empire. Ngoc hoang - the Jasper lord ruled, below were three divine mothers: the heavenly mother Lieu Han, the divine mother who ruled over the water, and the divine mother of the upper regions, who reigned in the mountainous and wooded areas. This was followed by a complex hierarchy of deities subordinate to them: five great officials, four divine ladies, ten princes, twelve fairies, etc. The retinue included a huge number of all kinds of spirits, up to a large number of girls and boys who had outstanding abilities during their lifetime and died young. The heroes of Vietnamese legends are Taoist hermits, they, as a rule, are associated with magical deeds, various Taoist practices are mentioned: the art of spells, palmistry, the art of breathing, often it is about geomancy.

The spread of Chinese geomancy in Vietnam is correlated with the name of Gao Pian, a Chinese military leader, a poet who ruled in the 9th century. Vietnam. Subsequently, the development of geomancy in Vietnam was significantly influenced by Nguyen Duc Huyen, better known as Taao (17th century). Tao became the protagonist of a number of legends. Some characters of Vietnamese mythology also came from China. So, probably, the cult of the god of the hearth was borrowed, which took shape, presumably, relatively late, in the 13th century. The Vietnamese god of the hearth Tao Kuan (Chin. Zao-chun) took care of the welfare of the family, helped in misfortunes, disasters, and also watched what was happening in the house, regularly reporting this to the heavenly ruler. A week before the New Year, Tao Kuan ascended to heaven and reported in detail to the Supreme Lord about what had happened for the year. In Vietnamese mythology, the Supreme Ruler's assistants, who were in charge of the book of births and the book of deaths, were two deities, twin brothers Nam-tao - the deity of the Southern Cross and Bak-dau - the deity of the Big Dipper. Perhaps they appeared not without the influence of late Chinese mythology, where the deity Dou-mu (Immatushka bucket &), who is in charge of life and death and lives on the stars of the Big Dipper, is found. In Taoist writings, she has a husband Dou-fu (Ibatiushka bucket &) and nine star-sons. Two of them are deities of the North and South Poles, one - in a white robe - is in charge of deaths, the other - in red - births. Note that the Vietnamese interpretation of the Chinese plot includes an episode typical of the folklore of Southeast Asia. The mother of twin brothers, who became pregnant only in old age, bore the fetus under her heart for sixty-nine months and gave birth to two large pieces of meat without arms, without legs, which in a hundred days turned into two strong, healthy young men. The Vietnamese tale "A man round as a coconut" tells how a woman gave birth to a piece of meat, overgrown with hair, he had eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Subsequently, he turned into a beautiful youth. Tales about the so-called hero, "not promising", are also found among other peoples of Southeast Asia, for example, among the chams ("The Tsar's son-in-law Coconut"), among the sedangs ("Youth-Pumpkin"), among the thai ("Boy- Bag"). It must be said that the Chinese civilization largely acted as the designer of the Vietnamese material, which in many respects gravitated towards the traditions of Southeast Asia. The oldest layer of mythological representations of the Vieta are cosmogonic myths. This is, for example, the story of how the god who originated in a chaotic mass divided heaven and earth by erecting a huge pillar. When the firmament rose above the earth and hardened, the god broke the pillar, and scattered stones and earth everywhere. Each thrown block of stones turned into a mountain or an island, the clods of earth became hills and plateaus. Then other deities appeared. They assigned responsibilities among themselves. Some ascended to heaven, others stayed on the ground, and all together set to work: one created the stars, another dug rivers, the third crushed stones - sand and gravel turned out, the fourth planted trees. This is how the world was created.

In Vietnam, there are stories about mythical heroes-giants, who ordered the earth's surface, poured mountains, laid river beds. The goddess Ny Oa and the god Ty Tyong were of immense growth and extraordinary strength. In the course of the marriage competition, each of them erected a huge mountain. Mount Ny Oa was higher, and Tyong lost. The goddess destroyed his mountain and ordered to pour another. Wanting to win the approval of his girlfriend, Ty Tuong poured many mountains everywhere. The origin of people is told in the myth of the Dragon King Lak and his wife Eu Ko. A year after the couple merged, Eu Ko gave birth to a bundle containing one hundred eggs. After another seven days, the shells on the eggs cracked, and a boy emerged from each. According to the myth, fifty sons of the Dragon King Lak became water deities, the other fifty settled on land. According to another version of the myth, fifty sons settled on the plains and became Vieta, the rest went to the mountains, and from them the small peoples of Vietnam originated. The cultural heroes in Vietnam are the ancestors and various deities. So, Lak Long Kuan - the Dragon Sovereign Lak taught people to plow and sow, and his wife, Eu Ko, taught them to plant mulberries, to breed silkworm caterpillars. She told people about sugar cane, showed that it contains sweet juice. People owe a lot to the god of the mountains - one of the fifty sons who left with the Sovereign Dragon Lak in the sea when the spouses separated the offspring. He returned from the underwater kingdom and decided to live on land, settling on Mount Tanvien. The God of the mountains gave people fire, because before everyone lived in darkness and cold. In addition, he told about such plants as corn, sweet potatoes, cassava, which became an excellent aid to rice, taught people to fish with a net, arrange traps for the beast. A number of myths and legends reveal a connection with archaic ideas, primarily with totemism. The choice of totem was largely determined by the economic activities of a particular tribe. Representatives of the Laquiet ethnos (III century BC), who lived in the Dong Son region and were experienced in navigation, revered as a totem one of the species of thrush, a bird that made long flights over the sea every year. The totem of the representatives of the same ethnic group, who inhabited the marshlands in the valley of the Red River, was a crocodile, a likely prototype of the mythical dragon. The dragon enjoyed special reverence in Vietnam. No wonder the first ancestor of the Viet was considered Lak Long Kuan - the Sovereign Dragon Lak. The turtle, according to the Vieta, patronizes the people and never leaves them in trouble. The Vietam and the god of the sea were represented in the form of a giant tortoise. A favorite character in Vietnamese mythology is the Golden Turtle Kim Kui. She helped the ruler of the country Aulak An Duong Vyong build a fortress. An Duong Vyong is probably not accidentally referring to the turtle. For example, as G.G. Stratanovich notes, the ban on the use of turtle meat among the Thai peoples of Vietnam is explained as follows: Mother Turtle taught people to build houses with a roof in the form of an inverted boat (i.e., in the form of their own shell), constant protector of people in front of deities and spirits. The Golden Turtle is associated with mythological ideas about miraculous weapons. Once she left An Duong Wyong as a gift her own claw, from which they made a trigger for a magic crossbow. The Golden Turtle is also mentioned in the legend of the wonderful sword associated with Le Loy.

The crane was also revered as a deity of water. So, in the state of Wanlang, the Great Sovereign White Crane of the Three Rivers was at the head of the water spirits, the people usually called him the Holy Crane. There are many legends that say that the White Crane of the Three Rivers was called Tho Laz - the ruler of the earth. There is a story telling about the atrocities of the White Crane, which turned into an evil spirit. He built a nest in a huge sandalwood tree, caught people and ate them. For a long time they could not get rid of such a misfortune, and only a stately, handsome young man who appeared from the river managed to end the demonic behavior. Note also that Bat Khak - White Crane is the ancient name of one of the branches of the Red River, which flowed through the district that bore the same name. Some animals were associated with certain elements, for example, the toad - with water. Images of a toad are found on drums used during prayers for rain. This amphibian is the leader among the graphic motifs of the Dongshon culture (3.0-2.5 thousand years ago). The story "About how the Toad sued Heaven" represents a toad, which, thanks to its own resourcefulness and skill, managed to fulfill the instructions of the animals and even enlist heavenly support for future times. If subsequently there was a need for rain, she no longer needed to make the tedious journey to Heaven - it was enough just to shout a few times. It is not for nothing that there was a saying in Vietnam: "The toad with a triple cry and the Sky will penetrate, not like people."

The characters of Vietnamese myths were not only animals, but also plants. For example, in Vietnam, the cult of trees was popular, and they are discussed in a number of stories. In one of the legends, it is said that the Dragon Sovereign Lak, after his birth, existed in the form of a piece of wood, resembling a bird's egg in color. Mother let him float on the waves. Brothers fishermen fished out a log, and the master carved a statue of Long Kuan from it. She was in a tree trunk floating on the waves, and the wife of the earth god, who appeared in a dream to Emperor Li Thanh dong. Probably, according to the views of the Vieta, trees were good and harmful: associated with good spirits often floated in the water, and harmful ones grew on land. One of the feats accomplished by the ancestors was the destruction of a werewolf - the spirit of a tree, which at first was a huge sandalwood. How many thousands of years this tree has been growing is unknown, but then it dried up, rotted and turned into an evil spirit that possessed many witchcraft and harmed people. Kinh Duong Vyong managed to defeat him. An essential component of the religious beliefs of the Viet, who believed in the existence of a huge number of spirits inhabiting the entire the world , was also animism. One of the most popular in Vietnamese culture is the myth of the struggle between the deity of the mountains and the deity of the waters. It tells how the deity of the mountains and the deity of the waters once wooed the daughter of the ruler Hung Vyong, and preference was given to the deity of the mountains. The deity of the waters, angry, went to Mount Tanvien, where his enemy took refuge, but could not capture it. Since then, both gods hate each other and every year on the eighth or ninth moon they arrange a battle. Researchers believe that this myth has an etiological nature and explains the causes of typhoons and floods in North Vietnam. In the "Wonderful Events of the Land of Linnam" by Wu Quin and Kieu Fu (15th century) there is a legend "The Spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox". It mentions the people who were called by the Vieta man - Ivarvara &. They settled at the foot of Mount Tanwien and worshiped the mighty god of that mountain, who taught them how to plant rice and weave white robes. This god was called - Man in White Clothes. In the western part of Thanglong (modern Hanoi) there used to be a small hill where, according to legend, a fox with nine tails lived in a cave. She turned into a god in white robes and lured young men and women into her lair. By order of the Dragon Emperor, the fox was exterminated, its cave was flooded with water, and the reservoir formed on the site of the cave was called the Fox's Corpse - this is the West Lake. Nearby, the Kimngyu idol was erected to pacify the evil spell. According to the famous French researcher E. Pore-Maspero, the legend about the fox from "The Wonderful Events of the Land of Linnam" has a totemistic character. The researcher also draws attention to the fact that Mount Tanvien is connected with the story of the struggle of the god of the mountains, who settled on this mountain, and the god of waters, who, along with all the water creatures, attacked it. This reminds, according to E. Pore-Maspero, the myth of the Dragon Sovereign who opposed the fox. Let's pay attention to the fact that the legend included in the collection "Amazing Events of the Land of Linnam" tells about a fox who lived in a cave on a hill near the capital. He is an evil werewolf who has assumed the guise of the beneficial owner of Mount Tanvien - Mana in White Clothes. The owner of the water - the dragon punished the evil fox by flooding it with water. The foxes from the mountain cave and the owner of the water act as antagonists here. The very same god of Mount Tanvien is mentioned only at the beginning as a cultural hero - a character who endowed people with different skills. Thus, the mountain god Tanvien and the foxes are associated with the mountain and are represented as antipodes. Perhaps, originally there was one deity of the mountain, combining two principles - life and death, good and evil. Subsequently, two characters began to correspond to these two principles - carriers of opposite qualities. The fox could act as the god of the mountain, with whom the master of water, the dragon, was at enmity. This character is usually endowed with the traits of a malicious creature. Over time, the owner of the water, destroying the fox, was replaced by a Taoist deity - the Lord of the Northern Sky. Probably, in Vietnam there was a cycle of myths about the struggle between two masters of the elements, and in one case, the winner and bearer of life - the cosmos - is the owner of the mountain, in the other - the owner of the water.

The cult of ancestors became widespread in Vietnam, as well as the cult of deified real personalities that developed on its basis. Those who, during their lifetime, rendered great services to the country, the sovereign, the village, or, according to popular belief, became famous for performing good deeds, were revered mainly. Many of them became patron spirits of villages (communities). Some stories, in particular of a biographical nature, end with the message that after death the hero was deified. Then we are no longer talking about his otherworldly activities. So, for example, it happened with the famous geomancer Tao. In other stories, the characters are already deified real personalities, that is, they tell about the deeds they committed after death. The spirits of ancient Vietnamese heroes, who became patrons of communities, take part in people's lives, determine their destinies. Thus, the spirit of the semi-legendary hero Li Ong Chong helped Chan Nguyen Khan learn the heavenly secret that Le Loy would become the emperor, and Nguyen Chai his assistant. And the spirit of another hero, Fu Dong, appeared to a certain student to choose him for doubting his holiness. Vietnamese myths and legends have not been studied enough, obviously, this is due to the difficulties of reconstruction. After all, for many centuries myths were processed "for history" and already in this form were included in literary works. Mythological characters were turned into historical heroes, and their activities were associated with certain years of the reign of the Vietnamese sovereigns, included in the stream of historical events. Among the earliest works containing myths and legends, we note the collection of Buddhist biographies "The Collection of Outstanding Righteous Men from the Thien Garden", dating from the 13th century.

Mythological materials are also contained in the collection "On the Spirits of the Land of Viet", composed of stories written by Li Te Xuyen in the XIV century. These stories are stories of the origin and deeds of this or that spirit. Narratives of amazing events can be found in the "Dreams of the Southern Elder" by Ho Nguyen Ching (15th century). Many myths and legends are included in The Wonderful Events of the Land of Linnam by Wu Quin and Kieu Fu (15th century). It should also be noted such medieval works containing folklore material as "Extensive records of stories about the amazing" Nguyen Zy (15th century), "Records made hastily at leisure" Vu Phuong De (18th century), "Records made during rain "Pham Dinh Ho (XIX century)," Notes on how mulberry plantations turn into a blue sea "Pham Dinh Ho and Nguyen Ana (XIX century). Myths and legends were included in historical chronicles, for example, in " A brief history Vieta "(XIII century), in the annals of Ngo Shi Lien" Complete collection of historical notes on the Great Viet "(XV century). It is worth mentioning the historical and epic poem of the XVII century." The Book of Heavenly South "by an unknown author. A number of works of Vietnamese There is a narrative folklore in Russian translations. For example, "Tales and Legends of Vietnam" (Moscow, 1958) has been published. In "Tales of the Peoples of the East" (Moscow, 1962) there is a section dedicated to Vietnamese tales, later "Tales of the Peoples of Vietnam" ( M., 1970) Selective translation of myths and legends from various medieval prose collections was made by M. Tkachev, who published them in a book entitled "The Lord of the Demons of the Night" (Moscow, 1969). The sources of the texts translated by the author and included in this book , the following collections were used: "About the spirits of the Viet land" by Li Te Xuyen, "Amazing events of the land of the Linns" by Vu Quin and Kieu Fu, "Dreams of the Southern Elder" by Ho Nguyen Ching, "True Records of Lamson" (15th century; some scholars attribute the monument to Nguyen Chayu, others believed to be the author of Le Loy ), "Notes on how mulberry plantations turn into a blue sea" by Pham Dinh Ho and Nguyen Ana, "Notes made in the rain" by Pham Dinh Ho. In addition, myths and traditions published by contemporary Vietnamese authors were used. Section I - "Myths" - is about the creation of the world, about deities, masters of the elements, governing nature. Section II - "From Myth to Tradition" - tells about legendary rulers who are endowed with the functions of mythical characters, for example, cultural heroes. Section III - "Traditions" - is devoted to amazing events, the characters of which are often famous historical characters. "Myths and Legends of Vietnam"

Center "Petersburg Oriental Studies", 2000 E. Yu. Knorozova, 2000

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Vietnam travel is incomplete if you don't visit unique place- Golden Bridge Golden Bridge, located on the cliff of Mount Ba Na. Tourists call the monumental structure "Touching the Sky", and if you look closely, it seems that the golden semicircle is supported by someone from above.

Near resort town Da Nang, in the summer of 2018 was built huge bridge in the form of a golden thread pulled out of the ground by giant hands. This structure looks hundreds, if not thousands of years old. In fact, it was created just a few years ago from steel and glass.

The Golden Bridge is located at an altitude of more than 1400 m above sea level. Its 8 spans are over 150 m long. At this height, the bridge looks like a silk strip that hides in the clouds above Da Nang and sits above the treetops from the edge of the deciduous cliff.

When tourists are on the bridge, they feel like walking through the clouds like deities living in the sky. After such a walk, memories remain for a lifetime! Tourists especially love this bridge for its incredible photos.

Where is the Golden Bridge

Popular among curious tourists, the Golden Bridge is located near the city of Da Nang, in the Wa Wa mountain range, located in the Taien Tai Garden near resort area Bana Hills. Golden Bridge decorates East Coast city ​​that attracts travelers also warm sea and the cleanest beaches with narrow banks.

After the opening of the monumental structure, the authorities managed to note a sharp increase in the number of tourists. Most of they seek to make a promenade along the Golden Thread in the hands of God. The Vietnamese were the first to visit the Golden Bridge, but fame quickly spread throughout the world, and more and more curious tourists now come to Vietnam, in particular Da Nang. Advertising of the bridge in in social networks, Images architectural masterpiece and the stories of travelers about the incredible monument with giant tassels.

Talking about the Golden Bridge, one cannot fail to mention the most beautiful city countries - Da Nang. In addition to the structure we are describing, there are other structures that arouse unprecedented interest and admiration among guests. These include: Dragon Bridge, Tuan Phuoc, Chat Ti Lee and others. There are a huge number of them here, and each is a masterpiece of architectural art with stunning backlighting.

History of creation

Bana Hills was founded by French colonialists at the dawn of the 20th century. They lived in villas, of which there were more than two hundred at that time. Now these are abandoned places, and only dilapidated buildings and ruins remained from the former village. To popularize the area among tourists, the local authorities built a small village in the style of the ex-owners - the French and built an amusement park "Fantasy".

The bridge, 150 meters long, was built by TA Landscapes Architect not so much to attract travelers as to communicate with the nearby village. Prior to this, the road had potholes and drops, which created problems for traffic. The project cost is about $ 2 billion, and less than two years passed from the idea of ​​creation to the opening. Stunning varieties of chrysanthemums grow along the perimeter, lavender paths are equipped. Visitors to the building have the feeling that tourist road holding huge hands, although in reality it is just an illusion.

Design and construction of the Golden Bridge

It is worth noting that the curved design is exclusively for pedestrians. None vehicles cannot move across the bridge. It is 150 meters long, 5 meters wide and has a 3-meter footpath. The building is located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level. The railing of the golden landmark is made of stainless steel, and the flooring is made of dense and high-quality wood that can withstand heavy loads.

In fact, the bridge is supported by seven pillars, only two of which are made in the form of giant arms. If you look from the side, it seems that someone is pulling them out of the thick of the forest. And they look as if they were built thousands of years ago - covered with scratches, damages, cracks, mosses, which gives an archaic look. When creating the design, this is precisely the goal that was pursued. It seems as if the bridge is supported by the hands of God himself, pulling a long golden thread from the bowels of the earth. The work was carried out scrupulously, and the shape of the fingers was changed several times for complete reliability. According to visitors' reviews, Golden Bridge looks magical and amazing in foggy weather.

How to get there

From other cities

If you get from remote Nha Trang, Fukuoka, Mui Ne, it is better by plane, since the path is not close. Tickets range in price from $ 50 to $ 100. Flights are carried out several times during the day: Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar.

The second way to go to Da Nang is by train, the trip will take up to 20 hours. You can book tickets on the Vietnamese Railway Line website in advance.

It takes 12 hours to get to Da Nang from Nha Trang by bus, flights are operated by a number of companies such as XeNha Travel on night buses - slip-bass (a kind of "bus reserved seat" where you can stretch out to your full height and sleep all night).

If you are already in Da Nang

The Golden Bridge is located on the territory of the Ba Na mountain resort. You can only visit this place using the cable car. Even if you are only interested in Golden Bridge, and you do not plan to visit everything else on the mountain, you still have to pay for the lift on the cable car and a ticket to the amusement park. This is a must for visiting the Golden Bridge.

The cable car is located 30 km west of the city (see map):

Getting to the bridge and Mount Bana will be much easier with an excursion from Da Nang. If you want to visit this place on your own, then you can take a car (600-700 thousand dongs) or a motorbike for rent (150-250 thousand dongs), as well as (approximately 350,000 vnd) and take the map to the Bana cable car station where free parking is located. The thing is that you cannot go upstairs in your car. In addition, the road upstairs is closed. That is why the only option remains - cable car I am. At the station, you can buy a ticket and continue your journey.

The method of climbing the Golden Bridge by cable car is also unique, which is the same attraction. For many years, it has been raising visitors to a height of 1,487 meters and has been in operation continuously.

How much is admission

Walking along the bridge itself and its environs is free, but tickets for the cable car must be purchased for money.

• Children, whose height does not exceed 1 meter, are admitted free of charge.
• Adult ticket - US $ 30.
• For children from 1 to 1.3 meters tall - $ 24.

The area attracts not only by the bridge, here beautiful parks, a huge, 27 meters, statue of Buddha, entertainment areas, wine cellars and amazingly beautiful gardens.

Working hours

Please note that the cable car to the bridge is open from 07:00 to 22:00. She works without holidays and weekends.

Hotels in Da Nang

Comfortable hotels with various levels of service have been opened near the Golden Bridge. They can be reached on foot or by transport - the trip will not take much time. There are also guest houses, hostels, apartments and a number of other options for living in comfortable conditions.

The listed and a number of other hotels can be booked in advance. To do this, you should record the time of arrival and departure, how many rooms are booked, the number of guests (including children) and the available price range.

Conclusion

According to the reviews of visitors and specialists, the best time to visit the Golden Bridge Golden Bridge - spring, summer and fall. During this period, there is practically no precipitation, a warm wind blows and the bright sun warms up.

Such conditions favor the flowering of unique plants and allow tourists to spend more time outdoors and contemplate historical and modern sights for longer. A great addition to the trip will be rest on the shore sea ​​coast with the cleanest beaches. Locals welcome guests in a friendly manner and create the maximum level of comfort. Indeed, for Vietnam and the Vietnamese, tourism is one of the main sources of income.

Goddess Kuan Yin - as she is called in China and in most countries of Southeast Asia, and Kuan Am is a purely Vietnamese name. She serves as a savior and has a compassionate nature. Temples have been built throughout Vietnam where this goddess reigns.

Everyone can approach the goddess Kuan Am with a request or desire, and she fulfills it, compassionate for all Humanity. Requests can be of any kind. But if their fulfillment can harm a person, the desire is not fulfilled. The goddess of compassion is strict about this.

The name Kuan Shi Yin, as she is often called, means "she who carefully looks, observes or listens to the sounds of the world." According to legend, Kuan Yin (Kuan Am) was ready to ascend to heaven, but stopped at the threshold, as the pleas of the world reached her ears.

Goddess altars can be found everywhere, because the goddess helps in all areas of life. Europeans sometimes call the goddess Kuan Yin the Eastern Virgin Mary.

Marina Filippova
Photo - Valeriy Garkaln

Vietnam tours

The Vieta are sure - spirits and deities govern all earthly elements. Each of them has its own "sector of responsibility", its own character and completely human passions, morals and problems.
The god of wind, rain, thunder appears in ancient legends and traditions in an understandable earthly image.

Home gods

The gods of the kitchen (gods of the hearth) Than Bep look after the fire and wood in the hearth. In the past earthly hypostasis, these are three people. A woman and two men are members of a tragic love triangle who died in the fire. After death, they appeared before the supreme god Ngoc hoang, and were appointed by the Gods of the hearth. They are entrusted with those only to look after the quality of food and order in the house, but also to monitor the good and bad deeds of all family members throughout the year. On the twenty-third day of the last lunar month, the Than Bep trinity ascends to Heaven and reports to Ngoc Hoang about all their observations.

The home keepers have two faithful helpers. The first - carp - helps Than Bep to get from the earthly world to the Heavenly ruler. The second assistant - a spider - transmits messages from the gods to people. People perceive the appearance of a spider as another piece of news from the deities. This could be a forecast of the weather or a foreshadowing of some news.

God of the earth Than Dat

In ancient legends, the God of the earth appears in the guise of a dragon or an old man. Than Dat lived underground, but was well aware of everything that happens in the human world.

During the last seven days of the lunar year, Than Dat leaves the earth and goes to report to Ngoc Hoang. Earthly life during this period freezes. On the thirtieth day, the God of the earth returns, and everything around him wakes up, as if after a dream. People do not dare to do earthwork - to plow, cultivate gardens and even bury anything in the ground. On the second day of the new year, a special ceremony is performed to receive the blessing of the God of the earth. Only after receiving permission did people dare to disturb the earth.

Thunder God Than Set (lord Sham)

Another character in Ngoc Hoang's retinue is the thunder god Than Set, the embodiment of the wrath of the Jade Ruler. The Vietnamese portray him as a lord with a fierce face and an incredibly powerful voice.

Mister Sham used to always walk with a stone ax, with which he punished the guilty, striking them on the head. In winter, the god rested, and on the second or third moon he woke up and took up his cruel deeds.

Sometimes an innocent person fell under the hot hand and ax of Than Set and died. This angered Ngoc Hoang. The Supreme God scolded the Thunderer, immobilized and sent the divine Rooster on him. Suffering from a powerful beak that struck all over his body, Mister Sham begged forgiveness from the Ruler. But since then he has always humbled himself at the sight of a rooster or the sound of a rooster's crow.

With an impending thunderstorm, people imitate the crows of a rooster in order to drive the formidable God away from their home.

Wind God Than Zo

The God of Wind has a strange appearance - he has no head, so he received the nickname Headless among the people. He summons a breeze or a storm with his magic fan, depending on the command of the Jade Sovereign. The most dangerous for people is the union of Than Zo with the God of rain and the God of thunder.

Once, when Than Zo was not at home, his little mischievous son pulled off a magic fan and raised strong wind in the world of people. A gust of wind tore out the sieve with the last grains of rice from the hands of the poor peasant. In desperation, the old man cried out for justice and asked Ngoc Hoang for protection.

Having figured out what had happened, Vladyka exiled the young mischievous man from Heaven to earth, making him at first a simple henchman, and later - turning him into a tree capable of predicting the weather. By the flowers and leaves of this tree, people have learned to understand when rain or hurricane is expected. So fair Ngoc Hoang made the guy pay for the evil brought.

Rice Goddess Than Lua

The pampered and capricious beauty - the daughter of Ngoc Hoang - felt annoyance and discontent for any reason. A wise father gave her a responsible assignment - to take care of saving people after a terrible flood, as a result of which all edible plants died.

Ngoc Hoang ordered his daughter-goddess to go down to earth and give people food. Than Lua allowed grains of rice to sprout onto water-covered areas of land. Once the rice was ripe, people didn't have to worry about anything — they didn't have to harvest, dry, or hull the rice. He himself came to the houses - all that remained was to put them in the pot.

The negligence and laziness of people accustomed to light bread soon angered the Goddess. She abolished all privileges, and doomed her charges to hard work in the rice fields.

Rain God Than Mya

Than Mya appears in the rainy sky in the form of a dragon, can appear to people in the form of a fish. At any time of the day, the rain god can rise to the sky or descend to the bottom of the sea. He draws water from rivers and seas into his huge belly. After that, he flies wherever he has, often thousands of kilometers away, and spills water on forests, fields, bushes, so that everything around him grows and bears fruit.

The ancient Vieta lived with the God of rain in perfect harmony. Than Mya conscientiously benefited all living on earth. Sometimes misunderstandings occurred, which caused complaints to the Heavenly Master. It happened that the Rain God was wrong - he watered remote desert areas and completely forgot to irrigate densely populated coastal areas.