Temple of Quan Hoang Muoi – a famous spiritual place in Ha Tinh that receives a large number of visitors at the beginning of the new year, the situation of begging, abusing votive burning here has recurred.
On January 29 (January 8), people flocked to Ong Hoang Muoi temple, also known as Cho Cui temple, in Xuan Hong commune (Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province) to pray for luck, peace, and wealth. fortune.
To ensure safety, the management board has posted a signboard of rules not to bring flammable and explosive substances into the monument. The radio system also continuously broadcasts notices asking visitors to limit burning votive papers.
However, many people still buy paper horses and bring them to the temple. Some tourists said that Quan Hoang Muoi was a good fighting general, so he needed a horse to enter the battle, if he fought on the river, he needed a boat. So they burned these for him. From these offerings, many people also wish for peace and fortune in the new year.
Ornately decorated paper horses. The man in the picture also sprayed perfume on this gift.
According to the survey, depending on the size from 1m to 2m, paper horses cost an average of 200,000-300,000 VND.
The paper horse set, in addition to the doll, shirt, and hat included, many people also put money in here.
After the ceremony, visitors bring paper horses to the votive paper furnace next to the temple to burn.
The votive furnace today is overloaded because many people continuously push paper horses, paper houses, … to burn. The management board assigns 2-3 women to stay here to support visitors and clean and ensure hygiene. However, at times, they could not prevent the tourist group from burning, so the burning votive goods were thrown out.
For many years, the temple management board has advised people and tourists not to burn votive paper because of its environmental impact and flammability, but this situation has not been alleviated.
In addition, bringing paper horses also made the corridors and places of prayer at the temple become crowded. In the picture, two girls coming to the bridge of peace are blocked by a paper horse behind.
At noon, Cho Cui temple is always crowded with guests, inside there is always a team of worshipers and servants to serve customers from all over the world.
While the maid made the vows, many guests were praying while placing change orders.
People and tourists come here also prepare trays of offerings or buy them at the counter outside the temple for from 200,000 VND to several million VND. In addition to candy, cake, water, beer, fruit, cigarettes, … tourists also put extra change. The ceremony tray as shown in the picture, someone put money in denominations from 10,000 VND to 500,000 VND.
At the entrance to the temple, the situation of begging has not been resolved.
Mr. Trinh Cong Minh, Deputy Head of the Management Board of the Cho Cui Temple Relic Site, admitted that the situation of begging, stuffing change, and abusing votive burning continued to recur. In the future, this unit will try to fix it.