The annual ‘Cau Ngu’ (Fish Worshipping) Festival for fishermen in Son Tra District’s Nai Hien Dong Ward, Da Nang, took place at the Whale Temple between 22 April and 25 April (7^th-10^th days of the 3^rd lunar month).

The procession of the Sea God

The 4-day event aimed to honour the God of the Sea and the Whale, as well as to pray for a successful fishing season ahead. In addition, it was a chance for local fishermen to pay  tribute to their predecessors who had made great efforts for the development of local fisheries sector.

A traditional ritual at the Whale Temple carried out by senior citizens

The event featured many solemn rituals and exciting traditional festive activities.

The rituals included a procession of the Sea God, a funeral oration delivered to the God of Water, and traditional rituals to honour ancestors, and to pray for peace and prosperity throughout the year. In addition, flowers were dropped into the river to commemorate fishermen who had lost their lives at sea or rivers.

The festive activities included fascinating ‘bai choi’ (singing while acting as playing cards) performances, along with ‘ba trao’ (dancing and singing local traditional folk songs) to honour the merits and virtues of the whale, and to show the local fishermen's strong desire for peaceful offshore fishing trips, with bumper catches.

Nai Hien Dong Ward is now home to a total of 357 fishing boats featuring capacity of between 214 CV and 315 CV each. Most notably, 30 new fishing vessels have been built to help fishermen conduct their offshore fishing activities in a bid to earn their livings, as well as to protect the country's sacred sovereignty over its sea and islands.