Lady Thu Bon Festival recognised as national cultural heritage

The People’s Committee of Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, held a ceremony on March 14 to receive a certificate honouring the locality’s Lady Thu Bon Festival as a national intangible cultural heritage.

A procession at the Lady Thu Bon Festival 2022 (Photo: baodantoc.vn)
A procession at the Lady Thu Bon Festival 2022 (Photo: baodantoc.vn)

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Tan called on people of Duy Xuyn District to raise a higher sense of responsibility in preserving and upholding the value of the festival.

He asked the local authorities to promote communication activities to introduce the festival to locals and visitors in order to boost tourism, especially cultural and religious tourism.

According to locals, there are many legends about Lady Thu Bon, but all of them describe her as beautiful lady with long hair. She is believed to help locals escape poverty and overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

Authorities of Duy Xuyen District receive a certificate honouring the Lady Thu Bon Festival as a national intangible cultural heritage. (Photo: NDO/Tan Nguyen)

The Lady Thu Bon Festival, held annually on the 11th and the 12th days of the second lunar month, plays and important role in the spiritual lives of people living on upper Thu Bon River.

The festival aims to honour and pay gratitude to the merits of Lady Thu Bon and the ancestors while promoting the solidarity of ethnic communities, such as Cham, Co Tu and Kinh, who are living on the upper side of Thu Bon River.

The festival often attracts thousands of visitors from inside and outside the province, who participate in the various activities, which include a procession, an offering of traditional cakes, a boat race, art performances, and exciting sporting events.

The temple worshiping Lady Thu Bon was listed as a provincial historical site in 2005. The temple was recently restored and upgraded in 2016.