The ‘Cau Ngu’ (Fish Worshipping) Festival is taking place from 1- 5 April at the Nam O coastal village in Lien Chieu District’s Hoa Hiep Nam Ward and at the Nam Tho village in Son Tra District’s Tho Quang Ward.

The procession of the Sea God in progress within the framework of the ‘Cau Ngu’ Festival

The annual festival is one of the most important events in the cultural and spiritual lives of local fishermen, associated with the traditional whale worshipping ritual in the past.

This year’s ongoing event features many solemn traditional ceremonies and exciting folk games.
The ceremonies 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.

The festive activities included ‘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. In addition, various exciting competitions were held at the event, including fishing net knitting, tug-of-war, and a coracle race.

Mr Nguyen Quoc Tri, one of the senior citizens having over 40 years’ experience in fishing at the Nam Tho village, remarked that Vietnamese fishermen believe that whales rescue people in danger at sea, and can bring them a prosperous fishing season. Vietnamese fishermen consider whales as the Nam Hai (South Sea) God which protects and supports them in their daily life and at sea.

Each fishing village along local beaches builds a temple to worship the god of the sea, where a whale’s skeleton is buried.

According to Son Tra District People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Dac Xung, the district is now home to a total of 1,183 fishing boats and coracles.

He remarked that each fishing vessel flying the national flag unfurled proudly in the breeze is regarded as ‘sovereignty landmark’. Therefore, apart from serving as a special community cultural activity, the ‘Cau Ngu’ Festival helps to introduce local residents to historical evidence to re-affirm Viet Nam's sovereignty over its sea and islands, and fishing experiences gained by many generations of fishermen.

This festival is part of the district’s project to preserve the cultural values of the local coastal area. Under the project, the festival is held every year, with each of the district’s wards alternating as hosts. The organisational costs are partly covered by the district’s budget, whilst the remainder will come from public donations.

Currently, many of the district’s coastal sporting and festive activities are facing the threat of falling into oblivion, and ‘Cau Ngu’ is no exception. Hence, many elderly citizens always ponder on how to preserve and honour the rich history of the city’s marine cultural values in the current context of local rapid urbanisation

The municipal government recently asked the Trung Thuy Group, the main investor of the Lancaster Nam O Resort in Lien Chieu District, to adjust its construction plans. Accordingly, new instructions were given on keeping the status quo of such historic relic sites here as the Whale Temple and a temple dedicated to Goddess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortals in Vietnamese legends. Furthermore, proposed solutions should be found to restore these sites.