As part of the 2010 Hue Festival, the Xa Tac Devotion Ritual was held on April 8 in Xa Tac, Hue City. The main purpose of the ceremony is to worship the gods of soil and rice to help bring a year of temperate weather and abundant crops.

Many traditional rituals were displayed at the ceremony which have been practiced for many years. More than 700 actors played the roles of kings, mandarins and solders from the Nguyen Dynasty. This year's ceremony was made particularly special thanks to the presence of 100 elders from Hue's local villages, representing hundreds of Vietnamese families who contributed their land for the construction of the Xa Tac Altar about two centuries ago.

The Xa Tac Devotion Ritual is a worshipping ceremony to the gods of soil and rice. It has long been known as one of the most distinctively traditional royal ceremonies, that carries specific features of the wet rice cultivation culture of Vietnam. Many dynasties from Dinh, Ly, Tran, and Le to Nguyen considered the Xa Tac Devotion Ritual an important event and held it every year (during the second month of the Lunar year) to recognise the importance of the national agriculture and hope for peace, good weather and a comfortable life.

However, through many turmoils in history, only the ancient capital of Hue is still able to preserve the Xa Tac Altar and documents that relate to the Xa Tac Devotion Ritual.

The Xa Tac Altar was built in 1806, during King Gia Long's reign, on the land of 8 villages above the Huong River. Due to its significant meaning, everyone at the time had to contribute clean land for the building of the Altar, under the king's command. The Xa Tac Altar, therefore, is also a symbol for the country of Vietnam.

The Xa Tac Devotion Ritual is held twice a year, once during spring and once in autumn. It is a ceremony second only to the Nam Giao Devotion Ritual in terms of its significance. Almost every king of the Nguyen Dynasty held this important event. The preparation for the ritual was often started one day ahead with the offering of fruits, a goat, a cow and a pig. The Xa Tac Devotion Ritual has been restored since 2008, and is currently in the process of socialisation to be acknowledged as a community festival.

Below are pictures taken at the Xa Tac Devotion Ritual 2010 by DTiNews.

Procession from Dai Noi to the Xa Tac Altar.

Village elders dressed in mandarin costumes wait for the "King" to arrive.

The Xa Tac Altar is more than 200 years old, and the last existing Altar of Vietnam in Hue.

The Altar was splendidly restored for the event.

Participants dressed in lavish costumes.

Kneeling before the Altar.

Worshipping the gods of soil and rice.

Xa Tac Devotion Ritual restored exactly like in the old days.

Traditional dancing.