Centuries-old identity
Tracing back through history, more than two centuries ago, the Shrine of the Holy Mother Goddess was initially built in a rudimentary style on low-lying land northwest of Mount Sam, with its back against the mountain and the main hall facing the road and fields of Vinh Te village. The shrine was maintained by a caretaker who offered incense daily; village officials were responsible for the annual rituals. After several renovations, the shrine became more spacious. At this time, the village council took over management and organized the festival, attracting a large number of local people to worship. This event gradually became a major festival, deeply rooted in the culture of the people of Southern Vietnam. The Festival of the Holy Mother Goddess is held from the 23rd to the 27th of April in the lunar calendar, reflecting the identity and continuity of the Kinh community in the process of cultural exchange and adaptation with the Cham, Chinese, and Khmer people in An Giang .
In 2001, the festival was selected by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as one of the typical festivals to be organized as a national tourism festival. In 2014, the festival was inscribed on the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Since its recognition, the management and organization of the festival have been carried out by the local authorities in accordance with the law and the Party's guiding principles on the goal of building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity. The festival activities have gradually become cultural tourism activities, honoring heritage and promoting the image of the land and people of An Giang to the people and tourists both domestically and internationally. In 2022, the dossier for the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival 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.
Provincial leaders receive the certificate inscribing the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain on the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Photo: Thanh Hung
For the people, the Lady of Sam Mountain is a Holy Mother in the belief system of female deity worship, always protecting and supporting the people. The custom of worshipping the Lady and participating in the festival is to satisfy the people's faith and aspirations for health, peace, and prosperity. This is an environment for educating about traditional moral values, reminding people of the contributions of their ancestors in building and defending the nation, highlighting the role of women, and demonstrating the intermingling in creative practices and the harmony of ethnic groups sharing the same faith within the same territory. At the same time, the festival helps people strengthen community solidarity; helping people share, bond, and support each other in the face of life's difficulties.
A priceless reward
“We are extremely delighted to receive the news that the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain has been inscribed on the UNESCO List of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On behalf of the community practicing the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain, we would like to thank the central and provincial leaders, and UNESCO for their attention, recognition, and honoring of the traditional cultural values of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival not only domestically but also internationally,” said Mr. Thai Cong No (Gui Te Association, Management Board of Sam Mountain Mausoleum).
Mr. Nô's joy is also the joy of all the people of An Giang province, a land where the distinctive cultures of the ethnic groups of the Southwestern region of Vietnam intersect. This event acknowledges the persistent efforts of generations in preserving and promoting the cultural and religious values of the Via Ba Chua Xu festival at Sam Mountain. For over 200 years, the worship of Ba Chua Xu has become an important spiritual anchor for millions of people, not only in the South but also throughout the country. The festival not only expresses reverence for Ba Chua Xu – who is honored as the mother goddess of the land – but also symbolizes the worship of the mother goddess in Vietnam, contributing to the national cultural identity.
An Giang Provincial Party Secretary Le Hong Quang beats the drum to officially open the Via Ba festival in 2025. Photo: Trung Hieu
Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Head of UNESCO's Representative Office in Vietnam, extended his warmest congratulations to all those who contributed to this achievement: “Vietnam has always been at the forefront of efforts to preserve and promote the value of heritage. This event also contributes to enriching the list of intangible cultural heritage in Vietnam inscribed by UNESCO. Furthermore, the success of this nomination is a testament to the joint efforts of the Vietnamese Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the An Giang provincial government, the local community, and the practitioners of the heritage who have worked tirelessly to document, protect, and promote this invaluable heritage.”
Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee Le Hong Quang emphasized: “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 intangible cultural heritage of the nation. Through this, it enhances pride and a sense of responsibility, leading to practical measures to preserve and promote the value of the heritage. In this spirit of joy and pride, we deeply recognize our great responsibility towards the value of the heritage for present and future generations. The provincial leadership will continue to effectively implement the heritage protection policy in accordance with commitments to UNESCO, ensuring the originality of the ritual system, limiting commercialization, preserving the natural landscape of the Mount Sam area; and promoting propaganda activities to raise awareness throughout society, especially the younger generation, regarding the protection and development of the heritage.” "To promote heritage values; to effectively exploit the potential and value of heritage in a sustainable manner, closely linked to environmental protection and the preservation of the original cultural space, so that each visitor to the festival not only experiences a special spiritual space but also feels the rich, diverse, and distinctive culture of Southern Vietnam."
The responsibility of preserving heritage
The Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain is the 16th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO, and the second in the Southern region (after the art of Don Ca Tai Tu). Notably, this is the first traditional festival in the Mekong Delta to receive this recognition. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong called on ministries, departments, local authorities at all levels, relevant agencies, communities that are the custodians of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain, and the entire nation to implement the National Action Program to protect and promote the value of this precious intangible cultural heritage.
“This includes raising awareness and capacity of the community and cultural stakeholders; continuing research, inventory, collection, and documentation of the heritage of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain; digitizing and building a database to introduce and promote the festival; organizing the transmission of knowledge and skills in practicing the heritage within the community; and organizing exhibitions and performances of folk art from the communities practicing in the festival at the provincial museum. Annually, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain will be organized solemnly, respectfully, economically, and in accordance with the principles of heritage practice, with the broad participation of the people, contributing to community cohesion and praying for peace and prosperity for the country. A diverse program of cultural, educational, and communication activities will be developed to introduce and promote the festival, raising awareness and responsibility of society towards protecting and promoting the value of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain. The capacity for cultural management and cultural heritage management will be enhanced.” "Cultural workers at the grassroots level, together with the community, should plan for the restoration, protection, maintenance, and promotion of the heritage value of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain. Training and updating knowledge about the heritage of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain, and about the management of intangible cultural heritage, should be strengthened for local cultural management and professional staff," Comrade Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized.
Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh stated: “International organizations, especially UNESCO, continue to accompany Vietnam in the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, spreading the essence of national culture in the flow of human culture. Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the soul of the nation, and at the same time an important driving force for socio-economic development. Promoting culture means promoting endogenous strength, arousing patriotism, national pride and the aspiration to build a prosperous and happy country. The Via Ba Chua Xu festival at Sam Mountain was inscribed by UNESCO at a special time, right after the 15th National Assembly passed the amended Law on Cultural Heritage and the policy of investing in the National Target Program for Cultural Development giai đoạn 2025 - 2035. This demonstrates the strong commitment of the Party and the State in protecting and promoting cultural heritage, making culture an important resource in the sustainable development of the country.”
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/thoi-su/gia-tri-toan-cau-cua-di-san-le-hoi-via-ba-chua-xu-nui-sam-a417348.html
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