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According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Dinh province, the Xuong Ly whale praying festival was born with the formation of Truong Lang (in Ly Hoa village, Nhon Ly commune) - the first Ong mausoleum of the Vietnamese people in Quy Nhon at the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty. Truong Lang was established at the latest in 1815, the time when the first Xuong Ly whale praying festival was held. In 1839, the Xuong Ly fishing village, locally called Vung Nom, was officially registered (now including Ly Chanh and Ly Hoa villages, Nhon Ly commune). Also in this year, the village officials chose a sacred location to rebuild and build Ong Nam Hai's mausoleum on the slope of Don mountain (in Ly Chanh village), then brought all the whale remains from Truong Lang here and organized a ceremony to welcome the gods, carrying them from Truong Lang to the new Ong Nam Hai mausoleum.

Ong Nam Hai Tomb, where the Xuong Ly fish praying festival is held (Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh)

PHOTO: HAI PHONG

According to the elders in the fishing village of Xuong Ly, whales (ie whales, dolphins, sperm whales... - PV ) are often called by fishermen by many different names, such as: Mr. Nam Hai, Mr. Khoi, Mr. Lon, Mr. Cau, Mr. Kiem, Mr. Sanh... Whenever fishermen encounter trouble at sea, they are often rescued by whales. Many stories are passed down by word of mouth that when there is a storm, whales lean their backs on the side of the boat, helping the boat not to be overturned by the waves. When fishermen fall into the sea, whales use their backs to help them reach the shore... Therefore, fishermen worship whales as the god of fish in the South Sea, praying for whales to protect them at sea. Whenever a whale's body drifts ashore, fishermen hold a very solemn funeral and worship ceremony.

Over time, along with the whale worship ritual, the fishermen of Xuong Ly fishing village have developed many cultural features typical of the coastal region. In particular, the Xuong Ly Van Dam Fishing Festival is an important annual event for fishermen, a type of intangible cultural heritage that is always preserved and promoted, spreading in the community. Ong Nam Hai Temple on Don Mountain is considered the spiritual support of the Xuong Ly village community. This is the place to place faith, pray for help from the Nam Hai fish god and traditional activities of Van Dam.

Performing the art of singing "Ba Trao" at the fishing festival in Van Dam, Xuong Ly

PHOTO: MH

The generations of the Xuong Ly village community also expressed their respect and gratitude to the seniors and prestigious people who were elected by the fishermen as the chief of the lagoon. They are the ones who have devoted their strength, intelligence, sweat and tears to preserve the intangible cultural heritage for their descendants today. The chief of the lagoon is the person responsible to the fishermen and the fishermen for the internal and external affairs of the lagoon. The chief of the lagoon, together with the fishermen (representatives of the profession), builds village covenants, limits jobs for each profession and each type of profession in the local waters in the spirit of solidarity and respect for the law.

THE BLEND, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PRESENT AND PAST

Mr. Duong Van Thom (74 years old, in Ly Chanh village), the caretaker of Ong Nam Hai's tomb, said that the Xuong Ly Van Dam Fishing Festival is one of the large-scale traditional festivals closely associated with fishermen and the seafaring profession. Every year, the festival is officially held for 3 days - January 9, 10 and 11. The Xuong Ly Van Dam Fishing Festival takes place according to traditional rituals, including: Nam Hai God welcoming ceremony, provincial ceremony, praying for national peace and prosperity, safe fishing for fishermen, and a good fishing season... In addition to the ceremony, the festival is organized with many activities such as: performing "Ba Trao", singing, rowing, swimming, playing cards and other folk games. Currently, the festival is extended for many days to organize folk activities and art performances.

The Xuong Ly Van Dam Fishing Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

PHOTO: MH

According to Mr. Thom, the festival is a memoir of the daily activities of fishermen at sea, from catching seafood to the way of life of the people, even when fighting against natural disasters and floods, it is a beautiful feature of labor that the people here are always proud of when mentioning. The festival is a blend, a connection between the present and the past, even more meaningful because it is the breath, the beat from the past echoing to the present. "For fishermen in Ly Chanh and Ly Hoa villages, the fishing festival is like a second traditional New Year following the Lunar New Year. They look forward to it and put aside all work to prepare and participate in the festival enthusiastically and responsibly," said Mr. Thom.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Chuc (member of Van Dam Xuong Ly) is an artisan who practices and teaches the traditional festival rituals of Van Dam. He said that Van Chai remembers the great contributions and is deeply grateful to the predecessors, artisans, researchers... who have contributed to creating, preserving and promoting the value of Van Dam Xuong Ly fishing festival so that the next generation can inherit the precious heritage.

Mr. Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee, said that the Xuong Ly Van Dam Fishing Festival clearly demonstrates the connection between the present and the past, spreading cultural values ​​in the future through activities. From a stopover on the Silk Road at sea, up to now, Van Dam Fishing has many cultural sediments and fishermen always show their responsibility to preserve and promote them.

"The Xuong Ly fish praying festival is a symbol of conservation and sustainable development not only in Quy Nhon but also spreading throughout the cultural space of the entire Binh Dinh province," said Mr. Hoang. (to be continued)

On February 7, 2025, in Nhon Ly commune, the People's Committee of Quy Nhon City (Binh Dinh) coordinated with the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh province to organize a ceremony to receive the certificate of national intangible cultural heritage for the Xuong Ly fish praying festival. The Xuong Ly fish praying festival was listed in the List of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Decision No. 3994/QD-BVHTTDL dated December 10, 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-dao-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-le-hoi-cau-ngu-co-tu-thoi-nguyen-185250404230942239.htm