Cau Ngu Festival recognised as national heritage

Nhan Dan Online/VNA - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognised the Cau Ngu (whale worship) Festival in the Central Coastal province of Khanh Hoa as national intangible cultural heritage.

 

Cau Ngu Festival in Binh Thuan
Cau Ngu Festival in Binh Thuan

A certificate was presented to representatives from 46 temples ata ceremony in NhaTrang city on April 10.

The Cau Ngu Festival (also known as Nghinh Ong) represents the spiritual life of locals in coastal localities in the South-Central region, and derives from the Nam Hai (Whale Saint) worshipping custom.

The festival is held annually after the Lunar New Year, when fishermen start a new fishing season. The worshippers express gratitude for Nam Hai for safeguarding fishermen, and pray for bumper hauls of fish, safe voyages and peace for the nation.

The festival is organised for one to three days, both at sea and in temples, comprising a number of traditional practices and art performances.

Khanh Hoa province, with its 380 km of coastline, is rich in seafood and aquatic farming. Currently, the locality has nearly 10,000 fishing vessels manned by around 32,000 fishermen. The average annual haul of the province is around 80,000 tonnes.