Preserving the Van Dam Xuong Ly Fishing Festival: A cultural and spiritual highlight of Binh Dinh

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong has just signed a Decision approving the Project to Preserve and Promote the Value of the Van Dam Fishing Festival in Xuong Ly (Nhon Ly Commune, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province), in order to protect and promote the value of traditional cultural heritage, serving tourism development associated with new rural construction.

At the same time, the Project also aims to promote the value of cultural heritage, community members are imbued with the values ​​of the festival, understand the symbolic meaning of the festival and be proud of and love the heritage passed down by their ancestors, raise awareness and capacity for local authorities and communities in protecting and promoting heritage values; create sustainable connections between generations in the community, and pass on knowledge and heritage practices to future generations.

Accordingly, the project will research and survey the Van Dam Xuong Ly Fishing Festival; organize training courses, teach the community knowledge and skills to practice the heritage; organize practice, performance, and introduce part of the rituals in the festival; support the provision of tools, utensils, offerings, etc. to practice the festival for the community; create films, photo collections, and documents on the implementation of the project in the locality, serving the work of preserving, promoting, and introducing the festival, etc.

As planned, the project will be implemented in the second and third quarters of 2025.

Leaders of the Department of Cultural Heritage presented the Certificate of Intangible Cultural Heritage “Xuong Ly Pond Fishing Festival” to leaders of the People's Committee of Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province. (Photo: Sy Thang/VNA)

The Van Dam Xuong Ly Fishing Festival has long been an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the coastal fishing community here. The cultural and historical values ​​of the festival are considered truly unique, reflecting the identity of the local community, contributing to the protection of cultural diversity in the Whale worshiping beliefs of the coastal residents of the Central and Southern regions.

The worship of Whale (Nam Hai Dai Tuong Quan) represents the philosophy of living in harmony with the ocean, while also expressing the fishermen's deep gratitude to their guardian deity. Unique rituals such as the Whale procession, Ba Trao singing, and sea worship are not only religious activities but also reflect a strong community spirit.

In the context of Quy Nhon developing into a coastal tourism center in the Central region, the Cau Ngu Van Dam Xuong Ly festival has the potential to become an attractive cultural and spiritual tourism highlight. Reasonable exploitation can create new sources of livelihood for fishermen through homestay services, local cuisine and the sale of traditional handicrafts. The festival is expected to contribute to building a unique sea and island cultural brand for Binh Dinh./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bao-ton-le-hoi-cau-ngu-van-dam-xuong-ly-diem-nhan-van-hoa-tam-linh-binh-dinh-post1039571.vnp