The Ông Nghinh ceremony is a procession to welcome the spirit of the Whale God. The master of ceremonies performs the ritual of inviting the Whale God to the temple and mausoleum, sincerely praying for favorable weather and a bountiful fishing season. To prepare thoroughly for this year's Ông Nghinh ceremony, from March 28th (February 10th in the year of the Horse), local people gathered at Truong Dong Temple to help decorate the boats carrying the Whale God and the altars with great reverence; prepare the offerings; and focus on rehearsing traditional opera performances…
Early in the morning of March 29th, at the Vinh Truong fishing port, the elders and respected figures gathered, along with the five-colored flag procession, the dragon palanquin procession, the ceremonial umbrella procession, the lion dance troupe, the trumpet and drum ensemble, and the boat-rowing chanting group… boarding boats to anchor in the Mui Phu Ong sea area. At the auspicious time, the teams started drumming and playing music, beginning the ceremony to welcome the deity. The officiants respectfully offered incense and offerings, and read the ceremonial prayers to welcome the deity of the South Sea. The procession performed the boat-rowing chanting, escorting the deity to the Truong Dong communal house. After the ceremony of welcoming the deity of the South Sea from the sea to the Truong Dong communal house was completed, the next steps were the ritual of offering sacrifices to the deity of the South Sea; the opening of the traditional opera performance; and the welcoming of guests, the management boards of neighboring communal houses, and local people.
In the afternoon of the same day, a ceremony to offer incense to the village deity Bon Su was held at Truong Dong communal house. On the morning of March 30th (February 12th, Year of the Horse), a ritual offering to the Goddess took place at the Lady's Mausoleum, followed by the opening of the four-part singing ceremony; then a ceremony at the Nam Hai Ancestor's Mausoleum and the King's veneration ceremony. Traditional opera performances for the people continued until April 2nd (February 15th, Year of the Horse).
On the afternoon of March 29th, at the Tien Hien Temple and the Nam Hai Mausoleum (Nha Trang ward), fishermen from residential areas 1 and 2 of Tri Nguyen also held a memorial service to express their gratitude for the merits of their ancestors and the Nam Hai deity. On March 30th (February 12th, Year of the Horse), the Opening of the Pond - Fishing Prayer Ceremony will take place here. People will come to offer incense and sacrifices to the deities, the local tutelary god, and aquatic gods, and to pray for national peace and prosperity, and for abundant catches for fishermen and aquaculture farmers.
Here are some pictures of the Fishing Festival in Nam Nha Trang ward.
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| All preparations for the ritual of worshipping Ông Nam Hải (the God of the South Sea) are carried out very meticulously. |
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| The decorations for the boats carrying the deity have been completed. |
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| The procession of boats carrying the statue of Ông Nam Hải (the God of the South Sea) set off early in the morning. |
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| Prepare your attire for the ceremony of welcoming the deity at sea. |
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| The ritual of beating the drums marks the beginning of the ceremony to welcome Ông Nam Hải (the Sea God). |
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| The ritual of playing music to welcome Ông Nam Hải (the Sea God). |
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| The ritual of offering incense. |
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| We respectfully read the prayer to welcome Ông Nam Hải (Lord of the South Sea). |
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| The procession of boats carries the statue of Ông Nam Hải (the Sea God) from Mũi Phủ Ông (Phu Ong Cape) to the shore |
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| A large crowd of locals waited to welcome the procession carrying the statue of Ông Nam Hải (the God of the South Sea). |
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| The boat of the folk singing troupe. |
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| The ritual involves carrying the offerings to the deity from the boat to the shore. |
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| The procession carrying the palanquin of Ông Nam Hải awaits to bring him back to the temple. |
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| The procession escorts Ông Nam Hải (the Sea God) to the temple. |
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| Traditional folk singing and chanting take place during the procession of Ông (the deity). |
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| Lion dance to welcome the procession carrying the deity to the temple. |
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| The procession carrying the statue of Ông (the deity) moves towards the communal house. |
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| The ritual of bringing Ông Nam Hải (the deity of the South Sea) to the altar in front of Trường Đông communal house. |
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| The "ho ba trao" folk singing performance takes place in the martial arts hall of Truong Dong communal house. |
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| Leaders of Nam Nha Trang ward offer incense at Truong Dong communal house. |
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| Students of Tran Hung Dao Secondary School pay their respects to Ông Nam Hải (the Sea God). |
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| Many students came to offer incense at Truong Dong communal house. |
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| People come to offer incense at Truong Dong communal house. |
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| Preparing for the performance at the temple. |
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| Traditional Vietnamese opera performances will continue until April 2nd. |
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| Despite the hot weather, many people came to Truong Dong communal house to watch traditional opera performances. |
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| People watching traditional Vietnamese opera. |
TM
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/goc-anh/202603/dac-sac-le-hoi-cau-ngu-4f76257/
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