Thousands of tourists and locals carry the statue of Lady of Sam Mountain in An Giang.

On the evening of May 19th (corresponding to the 22nd day of the 4th lunar month), the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival, in coordination with the People's Committee of Chau Doc City and the Management Board of the Nui Sam Temple, solemnly held a reenactment ceremony of carrying the statue of Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam from the stone pedestal on the mountaintop to the temple at the foot of Nui Sam mountain, marking the beginning of the 2025 national-level Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival.

In an atmosphere of excitement and pride following the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognition of the Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival, the reenactment of the procession of the statue of Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam took place solemnly, following traditional rituals such as the opening ceremony - mountain ascent - inviting the Holy Mother; offering incense at the martyrs' memorial; and carrying the statue of Ba Chua Xu from the martyrs' memorial to the summit of Mount Sam...

At the beginning of the ceremony, it rained heavily, but thousands of locals and tourists still participated in the procession of the statue of the Goddess, walking more than 4km to the lively drumming of lion and dragon dance troupes - a unique and distinctive cultural feature found only at the Lady of Sam Mountain Festival in An Giang province.

Tourists and locals lined up for more than 2km following the elders of Nui Sam ward and leaders of An Giang province to respectfully offer incense at the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Nui Sam mountain, the Martyrs' Memorial, and perform the rituals of carrying the statue of the Holy Mother Ba Chua Xu from the top of Nui Sam mountain to the temple (where the statue is enshrined at the foot of Nui Sam mountain, in Nui Sam ward, Chau Doc city).

Here, a theatrical performance reenacting the procession of the Lady of Sam Mountain takes place.

According to Lam Quang Thi, Secretary of the Chau Doc City Party Committee, this year's national-level festival, Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam, will take place from May 11th to May 24th (corresponding to the 14th to 27th of the fourth lunar month). The festival is deeply rooted in the national cultural identity of the people living in the Southern Mekong Delta region. The traditional cultural values of the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam festival always hold a strong appeal for locals, domestic and international tourists.

“Aware of the importance of protecting heritage, after being inscribed, the Party Committee and government of Chau Doc city and An Giang province have always paid attention to leading and directing the work of preserving, protecting, and promoting the value of cultural heritage in the cause of socio -economic development; considering this an important task, one of the driving forces creating identity and intrinsic strength in the development process of the province,” emphasized Lam Quang Thi, Secretary of the Chau Doc City Party Committee.

With the motto of creating conditions for tourists and locals to participate together, and bringing the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain back to a community-oriented nature, this year's festivities were organized in a rich and vibrant manner, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere, meeting the increasingly high demand for entertainment and recreation from locals and tourists.

Emphasis is placed on promoting and disseminating the image and significance of the festival, thereby contributing to building a cultural and civilized environment within the festival and empowering the people as key participants.

In particular, this year's festival also features a street festival program, cultural performances, displays of food stalls, specialty goods, OCOP products, calligraphy demonstrations; lion and dragon dance competitions, all for the enjoyment of tourists and locals...

The ritual of carrying the statue of the Lady of Sam Mountain into the temple. (Photo: Cong Mao/VNA)

The Via Ba Chua Xu festival at Sam Mountain is a unique traditional folk festival of the people of the Southern region in general, and Chau Doc area, An Giang province in particular.

The festival embodies profound humanistic values, reflecting the identity and continuity of the Vietnamese community in the process of cultural exchange and adaptation with the Khmer, Chinese, Cham, and other communities, passed down through many generations. It is also an opportunity for people to express their love, gratitude, and respect for their ancestors and those who have contributed to the nation and its people.

In 2014, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

On December 4, 2024, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain was inscribed by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This confirms that the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain contains immense historical and cultural values and plays a crucial role in the spiritual life of the An Giang community in particular and Vietnam in general, contributing positively to the preservation and promotion of heritage values at both national and international levels.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hang-ngan-du-khach-va-nguoi-dan-ruoc-tuong-ba-chua-xu-nui-sam-o-an-giang-post1039507.vnp