This page records how a visitor offers incense at the altar of the Mother Goddesses, following the UNESCO inscription of Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms (2016), the Department of Cultural Heritage and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, the Vietnamese Women's Museum, and a published guide to visiting temples. It covers only the visitor's incense offering, not the spirit mediums' lên đồng ritual. The library's Đạo Mẫu shrine follows what is written below: choose one or three sticks and the incense bowl receives exactly that many.
IHow Many Sticks
The UNESCO file and the heritage authorities' pages do not give a number of sticks. The numbers below follow two published visitor guides. Both say one or three.
The library does not offer 5 or 7 sticks. The Ngày Nay guide lists 5 and 7 among the odd numbers, but it is the only source and does not say when they are used. The library also sets no separate number for each altar, because no source does. The reading of three sticks as Heaven, Earth and Humanity has no source the library could find within Mother Goddess worship, so it is not used.
At the library's Đạo Mẫu shrine, each offering counts as one sincere visit, whether you choose one or three sticks.
IISet The Offerings, Light The Incense, Bow Three Times
IIISix Prayers And Where Each Icon Comes From
The UNESCO description opens: to meet spiritual needs, everyday wishes and gain help in achieving good health and success, communities in Viet Nam worship the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms: heaven, water, and mountains and forests. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism names the wishes directly: cầu tài, cầu lộc, cầu sức khỏe (wealth, blessing, health). The six prayers below keep to those. The icons are real vegetarian offerings and colours of the Mothers' altar. The sources do not tie any offering to any prayer, so the pairing of one icon with one prayer is the library's own.
The plate of fruit. Good health is the first thing the UNESCO description names among what worshippers hope to be helped with. Fruit is one of the vegetarian offerings for the Holy Mothers' altar, with incense, flowers, tea and oản.
Vegetarian offering for the Mothers' altar, paired with this prayer by the library · Source: UNESCO, element 01064. Ngày Nay, Văn khấn tại đình, đền, miếu, phủThe oản offering cakes. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism writes that worshippers ask for wealth, blessing and health. The Vietnamese Women's Museum explains lộc as divine favour or blessing, covering health, well-being, good fortune, business opportunities and prosperity. Oản is one of the vegetarian offerings for the Mothers' altar. The icon shows oản in a common shape, wrapped in coloured paper.
Vegetarian offering for the Mothers' altar · Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2 December 2016. Vietnamese Women's Museum, Worshipping Mother Goddess. Ngày Nay, Văn khấn tại đình, đền, miếu, phủThe flower. The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs writes that Mother Goddess worship looks to health, prosperity and good fortune, the lasting wishes of humankind. Flowers are one of the vegetarian offerings for the Mothers' altar. The icon is a single flower and does not stand for any one kind.
Vegetarian offering for the Mothers' altar, paired with this prayer by the library · Source: State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Thực hành Tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu Tam phủ của người Việt. Ngày Nay, Văn khấn tại đình, đền, miếu, phủThe stick of incense. The prayer text in circulation for the altar of the Three Holy Mothers asks for peace. The Vietnamese Women's Museum records a follower saying that a humble follower can offer a single stick of incense, as long as the heart is pure. The icon is one stick in an incense bowl.
Offering at the Mothers' altar · Source: Ngày Nay, Văn khấn tại đình, đền, miếu, phủ. Vietnamese Women's Museum, Worshipping Mother GoddessThe teapot and cup. A 2026 Việt Nam News article on a Mother Goddess exhibition lists what followers seek: good health, peace, prosperity, family happiness and success in their careers. Tea is one of the vegetarian offerings for the Mothers' altar.
Vegetarian offering for the Mothers' altar, paired with this prayer by the library · Source: Việt Nam News (Vietnam News Agency), 20 August 2026. Ngày Nay, Văn khấn tại đình, đền, miếu, phủFour bands in the colours of the four palaces. Nhân Dân newspaper writes that Mother Goddess worship reflects the moral of uống nước nhớ nguồn, when drinking water remember the source, and that most of the spirits honoured are people who served the country. The UNESCO description speaks of belief in the compassion and grace of the Mother Goddesses. The four colours belong to the four palaces: red for the Palace of Heaven (Thiên phủ), white for the Palace of Water (Thoải phủ), yellow for the Palace of Earth (Địa phủ), green for the Palace of Mountains and Forests (Nhạc phủ). The Three Realms are heaven, water, and mountains and forests.
Colours of the four palaces, icon drawn by the library · Source: Nhân Dân, Trải nghiệm di sản Tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu tại Bảo tàng Phụ nữ Việt Nam. UNESCO, element 01064. VOV2, Khăn chầu, áo ngự trong thực hành tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu. Vietnamese Women's Museum, Worshipping Mother GoddessThe library does not draw images of the Mothers or other spirits, scenes of the lên đồng ritual, the sacred animals, or votive money as buttons. Addressing the Mother as a child would is the customary speech of visitors. The six lines were written by the library and are not copied from any prayer text.
IVAfter The Offering
The UNESCO description says that strong beliefs in the compassion and grace of the Mother Goddesses provide a basis for the ties between those who take part. The Vietnamese Women's Museum records a follower's words: a rich follower can offer a bundle of things, a humble follower can offer a stick of incense. So at the Đạo Mẫu shrine, once the incense is offered, the library invites you to bow three times and say the chosen prayer, silently or softly aloud.
That invitation is the library's own. The source only records that visitors bow three times before each altar. It does not say whether the prayer is silent or spoken. The library does not say how a prayer will be answered, because the sources do not say.
VWhat The Library Is Not Sure Of
Are you a spirit medium, a temple keeper or a long-time worshipper, and do you see something wrong? Please send a correction with its source to thayungkhiem@gmail.com. The library will fix it and credit you.
VISources
Sources read on 5 October 2026. Van Dao Duong describes. It does not replace a real rite and does not represent any temple, shrine or group of followers.
Go to the Đạo Mẫu shrine to offer incense
?Quick Questions
How many incense sticks does a visitor offer to the Mother Goddesses
An odd number, usually three, and one is a full offering. The UNESCO file and the heritage authorities set no number. This follows published visitor guides.
What do worshippers of the Mother Goddesses pray for
The UNESCO description names good health and success. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism writes wealth, blessing and health. Other official pages write health, prosperity and good fortune.
What offerings are made at the Mothers' altar
Vegetarian offerings: incense, flowers, tea, fruit and oản. Followers say a rich follower can offer a bundle of things and a humble follower a stick of incense. What matters is a sincere heart.
What is the difference between Tam phủ and Tứ phủ
Tam phủ, the Three Realms, are heaven, water, and mountains and forests. This is the name UNESCO inscribed. Tứ phủ, the Four Palaces, adds the Palace of Earth. The library has not read a scholarly source that explains more, so it does not.
Does choosing three sticks count as three visits at the shrine
No. Each offering is one sincere visit by one person, whether you choose one or three sticks. The incense bowl does receive exactly the number you choose.