The ‘Cau Ngu’ (Fish Worshipping) Festival for fishermen in Thanh Khe District took place in the district’s Xuan Ha Ward from 18 - 20 February.

The procession of the Whale God includes senior male residents dressed in ‘ao dai’ (Vietnamese traditional long dress) and ‘khan dong’ (turban)

The 3-day event aimed at honouring the Gods of the Sea and the Whale, as well as praying for a successful fishing season ahead. In addition, it offered a chance for local fishermen to pay tribute to their predecessors who had made great efforts to the development of the local fisheries sector.

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

One of the highlights of the solemn rituals was a ceremony to make offerings to the Whale God.

Accordingly, a group of local residents head out to the sea from the early morning to take seawater, and they then took part in a procession to deliver a funeral oration from the district’s communal house to the beach. 

A main traditional ritual to honour the merits and virtues of the whale

A senior male citizen burning paper offerings to the Gods of the Sea and the Whale

A ceremony to make offerings to the Whale God was carried out by senior citizens who have a profound understanding of the local history and traditions.

After the ceremony, local residents participated in a procession of the Whale God to the festival’s main ritual stage in order to pray for peace and prosperity throughout the year.

The main traditional ritual was accompanied by ‘ba trao’ (dancing and singing local traditional folk songs) performances 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.

The procession of the Whale God

The procession attended by both mid-aged and young female residents

A scene of the ‘ba trao’ performance

In addition to many solemn rituals, numerous exciting traditional festive activities were also organised. A fishing net knitting competition is pictured attracting a great deal of attention from local residents and visitors.

The bustling ambience seen at the tug-of-war competition

On the occasion, the Cau Ngu Festival was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.