Opening Ceremony of the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival 2025

On the evening of April 17th (corresponding to the 20th day of the third lunar month), the opening ceremony of the 2025 Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival took place at the Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument (Nha Trang City). Attending the opening ceremony were Mr. Nghiem Xuan Thanh - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Nguyen Tan Tuan - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Tran Thu Mai - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Khanh Hoa Province, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial Party Agencies; Mr. Le Huu Hoang - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee; members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee; the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Khanh Hoa Province; leaders of departments, agencies, and localities; and a large number of local people and tourists from all over.

Provincial leaders attended the opening ceremony of the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival.

Provincial Party Secretary Nghiêm Xuân Thành offered incense to Thiên YA Na Thánh Mẫu.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan offered incense to Thien Ya Na Holy Mother.

This year's Po Nagar Cham Tower Festival takes place from April 17th to 20th (corresponding to the 20th to 23rd day of the third lunar month) with rituals including: the water procession; the bathing ceremony; the palanquin procession; the prayer for the deceased; the floating lantern ceremony; the prayer for national peace and prosperity; the incense offering ceremony; the offering of food to the spirits; the prayer for peace by the Cham community; traditional offerings and sacrifices… At the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Tan Tuan, beat the drum to officially open the Po Nagar Cham Tower Festival.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan beat the drum to officially open the Po Nagar Tower Festival.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Dinh Van Thieu, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee, highlighted the value, significance, and importance of the Po Nagar Tower Festival to the people of Khanh Hoa province, as well as other provinces and cities nationwide. To further enhance the value of the festival and the Po Nagar Tower National Special Monument, all levels of government, local authorities, and the entire population need to continue preserving and promoting the monument's value, linking it with sustainable tourism development, making Po Nagar Tower an attractive cultural and spiritual destination; the organization of the festival must ensure safety, civility, and the preservation of traditional identity, avoiding commercialization and superstition; and efforts should be intensified to promote and introduce the heritage, creating favorable conditions for tourists and the public to participate in the festival, contributing to the socio -economic development of the locality.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Thieu delivered the opening speech at the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival.

The traditional Po Nagar Tower Festival is held annually to praise and commemorate the merits of the goddess Po Nagar - the Mother of the Cham people, and also the Holy Mother Thien YA Na of the Vietnamese people, in order to pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life. In 2012, the Po Nagar Tower Festival was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Traditional dance performances by Cham girls were featured at the opening ceremony.

This year's Po Nagar Tower Festival has over 100 groups practicing the Mother Goddess worship registered to participate with the Organizing Committee. In addition, tens of thousands of local people and tourists also participated in the Po Nagar Tower National Special Monument throughout the festival.

Below are some images from the first day of the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival 2025, captured by reporters from Khanh Hoa Newspaper:

A group of practitioners of the Mother Goddess worship are preparing to enter for a ceremony.

The joy of the people in attending the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival.

Large crowds of locals and tourists lined up, waiting to enter the temple dedicated to the Mother Goddess.

A decorated float in a procession.

People participate in the procession.

The Cham people participate in the palanquin procession.

Followers of the Mother Goddess religion sincerely turn their hearts towards the Mother.

The Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument site shines brightly beside the Cai River during the festival night.

A Cham person releases a floating lantern onto the Cai River.

A unique folk dance performance by the Cham people.

People come to offer incense and pay respects to the Mother Goddess.

A family prepares offerings to present to the Mother Goddess.

A scene from the play "Legend of the Motherland" performed by artists from the Provincial Traditional Arts Theatre.

A large number of locals and pilgrims attended the opening ceremony of the Po Nagar Cham Towers Festival.

NT

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/multimedia/202504/khai-mac-le-hoi-thap-ba-po-nagar-2025-9df13d7/