Yếu tố đạo giáo trong lễ hội ông Bổn của người Hoa Phước Kiến ở thành phố Thủ Dầu Một, tỉnh Bình Dương
Abstract
The Hoa people are one of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. This ethnic group consists of many different dialect groups: Guangdong (廣東), Teochew (潮州), Hainanese (海南), Hakka (客)2, and Hokkien (福建). The Fujianese Chinese settled in Bình Dương quite early, around the 19th century, and have conducted many distinctive festivals compared to other regions, including the Ông Bổn festival. The Daoist elements are manifested in the Ông Bổn festival in several ways: (1) the presence of Daoist priests; (2) the imagery of Daoist priests performing rituals and prayers for the offerings brought by families, conducting rituals to ward off evil spirits and consecrating statues; (3) the phenomenon of Daoist priests inaugurating the Ông Bổn festival; (4) the interconnection of Daoist priests. Therefore, through this article, we aim to raise concerns about the future, wherein if the status of relationships and the influence and role of Daoist priests remain unchanged, the influence, role, and sacred value of Ông Bổn, along with the “Bodies of Ông” will gradually diminish in the community's consciousness.
2 Also called Khach Gia (客家).
