Looking forward to the 2025 Lady of the Sea Festival.

“April is the great festival of the Goddess of Sam Mountain/ Praying for peace, prosperity, and a warm and harmonious home/ Mount Sam, a sacred landmark/ The Lady of Sam Mountain Temple, a sacred land for millennia.” In just over a month, the festival of the Lady of Sam Mountain in An Giang will officially take place, attracting millions of visitors. What's special is that this year's festival is completely different from previous years, marking a transition from a “National Intangible Cultural Heritage” to a “Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Numerous tourists visit the Lady of the Land Temple on Sam Mountain.

The worship of the Goddess of the Land (Bà Chúa Xứ) holds profound significance in the spiritual, cultural, and communal life of the people of Southern Vietnam. It is not merely a religious belief, but also brings many important values. It serves as a spiritual anchor, a source of peace for the people; it fosters community cohesion and preserves traditions. Worshiping the Goddess connects people within the community, creating unity and mutual support in life. In every small detail of preparation, everyone, without prior arrangement, organizes religious activities consistently and systematically, contributing to the preservation and promotion of folk culture. Thanks to their faith and reverence for the Goddess of the Land, the people have continuously restored and preserved her shrine for hundreds of years.

In 2001, due to the spread of the belief in the Holy Mother Goddess and its influence within the community, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain was selected by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as one of the representative festivals to be organized as a national tourism festival. In 2014, the festival was inscribed on the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2022, the dossier for the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain - An Giang was approved by the Government to be submitted to UNESCO for consideration. On December 4, 2024, the festival was officially inscribed by UNESCO on the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“This event is a recognition by the international community of the unique values ​​of the festival in terms of history, culture, and spirituality. This is the 16th Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam, and the 2nd Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Southern region (along with the art of Don Ca Tai Tu) to be inscribed by UNESCO. Above all, this is the first traditional festival of the Mekong Delta to receive this honor; contributing to affirming the diversity, value, and identity of Vietnamese culture in the overall cultural landscape of humanity. For the Party Committee, government, and people of An Giang , this is an invaluable reward, affirming the integrity, authenticity, and outstanding global value of the heritage; helping the community owning the heritage to fully understand the value of the festival in the treasure trove of intangible cultural heritage of the nation. Through this, it enhances pride, a sense of responsibility, and leads to practical measures to preserve and promote the value of the heritage” - Member of the Executive Committee At the Central Committee of the Party, An Giang Provincial Party Secretary Le Hong Quang affirmed.

The National Action Program for the Protection and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain, for the period 2025-2030, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, outlines five key points. One of these points states: “Annually, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain will be organized in a solemn, respectful, and economical manner, adhering to the principles of heritage practice, with the broad participation of the people, contributing to the cohesion of communities and praying for the peace and prosperity of the country.” This is a commitment, a prestigious but equally weighty responsibility, entrusted to local Party committees, authorities at all levels, and the communities that own and practice the heritage. On March 19, 2025 (corresponding to the 20th day of the 2nd lunar month), during the ceremony to receive the UNESCO certificate recognizing the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, An Giang province, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will organize the opening ceremony of the 2025 Via Ba Chua Xu Festival - the first festival season after the heritage status was elevated.

Currently, plans for organizing the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain are being urgently developed and submitted to the competent authorities. It is expected that the ceremonial part will be held from the opening ceremony until May 24th (corresponding to the 27th day of the 4th lunar month). A series of traditional rituals will be solemnly organized, including: Sewing robes to offer to the Goddess (15th day of the 4th lunar month), the reenactment and procession of the Goddess's statue (22nd day of the 4th lunar month), the bathing of the Goddess (midnight of the 23rd and early morning of the 24th day of the 4th lunar month), the summoning of the divine spirit (25th day of the 4th lunar month), and the Tuc Yet and Xay Chau ceremonies (midnight of the 25th and early morning of the 26th day of the 4th lunar month). The main ceremony (midnight of April 25th to 26th in the lunar calendar), the ceremony of returning the sacred objects (April 27th in the lunar calendar)... The festival part is held from April 1st to May 22nd (corresponding to March 4th to April 25th in the lunar calendar), including cultural, artistic, sports activities, competitions, and culinary events...

“After being recognized by UNESCO, this year's Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain must be worthy of its status as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Chau Doc City Party Committee has assigned the City People's Committee to report to the Provincial People's Committee to seek approval for the organization and scale of implementation, with Chau Doc City taking the lead in carrying out the festival's activities as is customary every year. After receiving the province's decision, the locality will proceed accordingly. However, the activities proposed for the Provincial People's Committee must be practical, effective, and meet the needs of the people and tourists; contribute to the preservation and promotion of the newly recognized heritage; and serve and retain tourists visiting the locality during the peak festival season,” emphasized Lam Quang Thi, Secretary of the Chau Doc City Party Committee.

In the first three months of 2025, Chau Doc City recorded over 2.4 million visitors (reaching nearly 49% of the annual plan), and over 303,000 overnight stays (exceeding the plan by 103%). The locality has implemented many solutions to prepare for the increased number of visitors during the upcoming Via Ba festival. These include strengthening state management in areas such as security and order, trade and services, and food safety and hygiene.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/cho-don-mua-via-ba-2025-a418847.html