Fishermen in Ho Chi Minh City’s outlying district of Can Gio held their annual Nghinh Ong (Whale Worshipping) Festival on September 9.
A performance at the opening ceremony
Taking place until September 11, the event features various activities including folk games, a competition of playing football on stilts, a contest on making fishing nets, a lion dance, and art performances.
Visitors can also take part in spiritual ceremonies such as an incense offering at Ong Thuy Tuong Temple (Temple Worshiping the Whale) and a palanquin procession from the temple to the sea and return.
Within the framework of the festival, the local authorities presented gifts to children with difficulties in Can Gio District on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival.
Nghinh Ong Festival was first organised in 1913 to show fishermen’s respect for the whale and pray for favourable weather conditions and a bumper catch for their sea trips.
The festival was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2013.