The Practice of Presenting Paper Peonies to Mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh

The book titled “Compilation of the Divinities” [會眞編 – Hội Chân Biên], authored by Thanh Hòa Tử and Quế Hiên Tử, recounts a narrative about a remarkable peony tree on Mount Sòng known for its large, pink blossoms cherished by the Mother Goddess. Worshippers visiting the shrine would craft peony flowers from pink paper as offerings to Her.

In the past, Vietnamese people commonly referred to the jungle geranium as “mẫu đơn ta” (lit. native peony). Therefore, it remains uncertain whether the book mentions the conventional peony or the jungle geranium.

Mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh is also referred to as the Second Mother Goddess of Earth. She is the primary Mother Goddess of the Four Palaces belief in the Vietnamese Mother Goddess religion.

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REFERENCE

• Hội Chân Biên, Nguyễn Thanh Tùng researches and translates, Đại học Sư Phạm Publishing House, 2021