Dan Xa Tac, an agricultural cultural feature of Vietnam

Dan Xa Tac (Đàn Xã Tắc), a construction used for honoring and respecting the Earth Genie and Rice Genie was built at early 1806 by King Gia Long under Nguyen Dynasty. This construction is known located in Thuan Hoa (Thuận Hòa) ward, Hue city.

Vietnam is a long-lived agricultural country; therefore, the people consider honoring Genies a very important customs. The customs was born in China from a very long time ago. Xa is the most important Genie of the five Earth Genies, who are honored whenever people make their houses. Tac is the rice, the most important cereal which is honored as a Genie. Dan Xa Tac is the significant place to Vietnamese people for it represents the whole country's land.

	The map of Dan Xa Tac in the past

Dan Xa Tac contains 2 floors which were in square shape with their front part is toward the north. The 1st floor is 1.6 m high and painted in 5 different colors basing on five basic elements in universe. The center is yellow, the eastern is blue, the western is white, the southern is red and the northern is black. The first floor has 32 stone pedestals using for burning incense. As for the 2nd floor, it has the height of 1.2 m and pedestals on its two sides as well.

The view representing an honor event at Dan Xa Tac

Surrounding the two floors is the handrail frame and connecting them is the steps system. Dan Xa Tac was also surrounded by the 1.2m-high wall in rectangular shape. The northern side has 3 doors, while others have only 1 door. Further outside the wall, there is a brick screen in its south, a lake in its north.

Nowadays, this place has become a famous one, esp. in every Festival Hue when the customs of honoring Genies is formally displayed and performed. The event has some main activities such as Quán tẩy (King washes hands), Thượng Hương (burning incense), Nghinh Thần (Welcome Genies), Điện Ngọc Bạch (offering pearl and silk), Hiến tước (offering wine), Truyền chúc (reading honoring text), Tứ phúc tộ (Creating happiness), Triệt soạn (offering food), etc. The construction is in the process of reforming its original shape so as to maintain to the old charming city of Hue.

Collected by Thanh Nguyen