Department of Cultural Heritage gives "hot" instructions on tiger dance at Ponagar Tower

On April 25, the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) sent a document requesting the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province to rectify the implementation of the Ponagar Tower Festival.

A performance at the Ponagar Tower Festival went viral on social media. Screenshot

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, recently, there have been reports of many pilgrimage groups creating images of tigers dancing, singing, and performing spirit mediumship, causing offense at the Ponagar Tower Festival. To avoid transforming spiritual performances and sacred dances to offer to the Holy Mother into variety shows during the festival, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province is requested to promptly direct and rectify activities taking place during the festival, especially in the Ponagar Tower area.

Specifically, strengthen state management of the management, protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage values ​​in the area in accordance with the provisions of the law on cultural heritage; propagate so that the community and local authorities have a correct awareness of the practice of intangible cultural heritage, and correctly practice traditional rituals, ceremonies and performances.

It emphasizes respecting the principles of practice of intangible cultural heritage; respecting the heritage subject community, protecting and promoting the values ​​of the Ponagar Tower Festival heritage in accordance with the content of the dossier that was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2012, and is being considered by the Ministry to submit to the Prime Minister for permission to build a dossier to request UNESCO to register.

A performance at the Ponagar Tower Festival went viral on social media. Screenshot

Previously, SGGP Newspaper published an article "Response to the noisy singing and dancing at the Ponagar Tower Festival", reflecting on the social network Facebook spreading some videos and images of characters transforming into tigers, dancing and singing... at the Ponagar Tower Festival, causing controversy.

A representative of the Khanh Hoa Provincial Monuments Conservation Center explained that the above dance and singing images took place during the “festival” part, which were “fun dances for the Mother Goddess”; the “ceremony” part was held before that with a serious incense offering ritual, without noisy dancing and singing activities.

Po Nagar Tower was recognized as a National Monument in 1979; by 2025, it was ranked as a Special National Monument by the Prime Minister. Po Nagar Tower Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.

HIEU GIANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cuc-di-san-van-hoa-chi-dao-nong-ve-viec-mua-cop-o-thap-ba-ponagar-post792473.html