Village festivals which usually take place after Tet are a long-standing cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people. Each festival has its own meaning and nuances, but the common point is the nostalgia and remembrance of those who have contributed to the country and locality. This is also an activity to connect the community and increase community solidarity.

A ceremony to process the Nam Hai Thuong Dang Than at the Ha Khe Beach to the main stage. Photo: DOAN HAO LUONG

Promoting cultural value of village communal houses

On the 9^th and 10^th days of the first lunar month, people from villages in Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang eagerly attend the Tuy Loan Village Communal House Festival. This year, the organisation was streamlined but still maintained all the important rituals and attractive activities.

Sharing about this year's festival, Mr. Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of Hoa Phong Commune People's Committee cum Head of the Festival’s organizing committee, said that the annual Tuy Loan Village Communal House Festival aimed to contribute to preserving folk culture and intangible cultural heritage. Along with important rituals, there were many exciting activities such as folk games, boat race and some art programmes such as "ho khoan" and “bai choi. In particular, at this year’s event, the Organizing Committee invited many people from far away places to attend, contributing to the restoration of relics in the commune.

It can be seen that the bustling atmosphere of spring is not only reflected in the brilliant colours of traditional festivals, but also in the increasingly civilized and orderly spirit. This year, many festivals have new points in organization and management, contributing to honouring relics, promoting the value of traditional cultural identity, and creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere for people and tourists.

Having been in charge of being the Head of the village festival committee for many years, Mr. Dang Nga residing in Tuy Loan Village, Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District, stated that “The Tuy Loan Village Communal House Festival not only creates conditions for people and tourists to celebrate Tet, but also helps people working far away have the opportunity to visit relatives and offer incense to commemorate their ancestors. Through the festival, we hope that our descendants will always know how to appreciate and preserve the culture of Tuy Loan communal house in particular and the national culture in general”.

This year's Son Tra District ‘Cau Ngu’ (Fish Worshipping) Festival is held at the Whale Temple in Man Thai Ward. The festival rotates annually between the three wards of Man Thai, Nai Hien Dong and Tho Quang to pay tribute to the ancestors who built the Whale Temple, and at the same time pray for national peace and prosperity, favourable weather, bumper catches, and a prosperous and happy life for fishermen.

In addition to traditional rituals, the Organizing Committee has built a programme featuring many cultural activities imbued with the folk character of fishing villages such as ‘bai choi’, ‘ba trao’, ‘cheo’ and ‘tuong’ combined with sports activities such as pushing sticks, carrying fish, rowing baskets, and tug of war.

Mr. Huynh Van Hung, Vice Chairman of Son Tra District People's Committee cum Head of the Organizing Committee of the festival affirmed that since the reign of King Gia Long and the Nguyen Dynasty, whales have been conferred the title "Nam Hai Cu Toc Ngoc Lan Ton Than", recognizing the custom of worshiping Whales in central coastal villages.

The Cau Ngu Festival is an opportunity for fishermen - people who always face many uncertainties at sea - to put absolute faith in the manifestation of Whales when in trouble, expressing their desire for peace in life, and praying for a year of favourable weather, and full of shrimp and fish.

Community spirit promoted

Compared to other ‘Cau Ngu’ Festivals in the city, the festival in Thanh Khe District is associated with the worship of the Nam Hai God - the guardian god of the sea of ​​fishermen. It has long been a typical and unique cultural activity of fishermen, and an indispensable cultural and spiritual activity of the locality. This year's festival takes place from 17^th to 20^th days of the first lunar month.

Apart from main traditional rituals, there were many cultural and sports activities with high community spirit such as singing ‘Ba Trao’, boat race, SUP race, net weaving, basket-spinning competition, fish carrying competition, tug of war, stick pushing competition, and arm wrestling. This is the biggest festival of the year for fishermen. Its aim is to pray for a good harvest, and express the desire for a year of calm seas, favourable winds, and full holds of fish and shrimp.

Although it was not his turn to organize this year, Mr. Vo Van Tam, the Head of Thanh Khe Dong Ward, Thanh Khe District, attended the festival very early. Mr. Tam has 12 years of experience as the head of the village, 5 years as the head of the Thanh Hoa Hamlet, 5 years as the village's representative, and 10 years as the village's main worshiper. Although this is a hard job, he always feels happy to contribute to the festival.

"Every year, villagers from Thanh Khe Dong, Thanh Khe Tay, and Ha Khe wards take turns being the head of the village. This year, it was Thanh Khe Tay ward's turn to organize the festival. All activities are socialised with contributions from the people of the 3 wards. Although the job of the host is a bit hard, I always feel honored to be able to contribute to maintaining the worshiping rituals left by my grandparents and continuing them for future generations” Mr. Tam shared.

According to Vice Chairman of Thanh Khe District People's Committee Do Nguyen Ngoc, the fishing life of the people has gone hand in hand with the reclamation and establishment of the village. Generations of Thanh Khe villagers have passed down their experience in dealing with storms during the stormy season to effectively exploit seafood. Today, the seafood exploitation profession in Thanh Khe fishing village is still maintained and developed, and the spiritual life of the villagers is still preserved. This is the main foundation for organizing and maintaining the festival annually.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by M.DUNG