Proposing Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival as intangible cultural heritage

On May 19, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province announced that it had officially proposed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to include the "Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival" in the list of national intangible cultural heritage. This is the result of a long research and collection process to preserve the unique cultural values ​​associated with the history of the profession of the land known as the land of "aloegrass forest - sea of ​​salanganes' nests".

Khanh Hoa bird's nest is not only a precious product, but also a vivid proof of the intersection between the majestic nature and the cultural identity of this place. Before the 17th century, local people began to harvest bird's nests from caves on coastal islands, accompanied by primitive religious rituals to pray for protection from the gods. During the Nguyen Dynasty (17th-19th century), the bird's nest exploitation profession was closely monitored and managed by the royal court, marking an important turning point when temples to worship the profession's founders began to be built on the bird's nest islands and on the mainland in Nha Trang.

Tong Na worship ceremony at Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival. PHOTO: KH SALANGANES NEST

"Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival is a unique combination of folk beliefs and economic activities, both imbued with traditional cultural values ​​and contributing greatly to the local socio-economic development," said Mr. Dinh Van Thieu, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, in a document sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

From simple rituals, the festival has developed into a large-scale cultural event, not only limited to the bird's nest community but also attracting the attention of many people and tourists. Currently, in addition to traditional rituals on the bird's nest islands and the temple to worship the profession's ancestors, the festival is also held with many unique folk games and performances, becoming an event to promote the Khanh Hoa bird's nest brand to the world .

Exploiting bird's nests on a natural island in Khanh Hoa. PHOTO: KH BIRD'S NEST

In Nha Trang City, the communities of Vinh Nguyen, Phuoc Hai, Vinh Truong, Vinh Hai, Vinh Hoa, Phuoc Long, Phuong Son, Phuong Sai wards and Phuoc Dong and Vinh Luong communes are the ones who preserve and promote this heritage. They not only maintain spiritual rituals but also contribute to preserving the unique cultural identity of the island land of Khanh Hoa.

The model of managing bird's nests in Khanh Hoa is also a pioneer in the country. Since 1990, Khanh Hoa Bird's Nest Company was established, the first company model directly managed by the Provincial People's Committee in the country. By 2009, this unit was transformed into Khanh Hoa State-owned One Member Limited Liability Company, marking a new step in the development of maintaining and promoting this cultural heritage.

Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival is held on the 10th day of the 5th lunar month every year. PHOTO: DB

Recognizing the outstanding value of the heritage, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest State-owned One Member Limited Company to conduct an inventory and build a dossier of the intangible cultural heritage "Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival". This work has been carried out thoroughly and methodically with the participation of many experts and local people. To date, the dossier has been completed in accordance with regulations and submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for review and evaluation.

The proposal to include the "Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival" in the list of national intangible cultural heritage is not only the pride of Khanh Hoa people but also an opportunity to widely promote the unique cultural values ​​of this land to domestic and international friends, while contributing to promoting sustainable tourism development based on indigenous culture.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-xuat-le-hoi-yen-sao-khanh-hoa-la-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-185250519160008965.htm