Khanh Hoa has two more national intangible cultural heritages

Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival has just been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Photo: Huu Long

On June 3, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung signed a decision to announce the list of national intangible cultural heritages.

According to the signed decision, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism included "Knowledge of exploiting and processing Khanh Hoa Agarwood" in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage (Folk Knowledge).

One day earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also included the Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The consecutive recognition of two typical local heritages not only affirms unique cultural values but also contributes to preserving and promoting heritages associated with the livelihoods and cultural identity of Khanh Hoa people.

Along with the Agarwood exploitation, the bird's nest exploitation in Khanh Hoa has existed since before the 17th century, when local residents collected bird's nests in caves on coastal islands. At that time, there were primitive religious rituals, praying for the gods to support those who collected bird's nests.

Image of bird's nest exploitation at Yen Island Nha Trang, also known as Hon Noi, located in Nha Trang Bay. Photo: Huu Long

Image of bird's nest exploitation at Yen Island Nha Trang, also known as Hon Noi, located in Nha Trang Bay. Photo: Huu Long

By the 17th and 19th centuries, the Nguyen Dynasty paid attention to and strictly managed the bird's nest exploitation profession, and the ritual of worshiping the ancestors of the profession and the gods became an important tradition. Since then, temples to worship the ancestors of the bird's nest profession began to be built on the bird's nest islands and on the mainland in Nha Trang.

From the beginning of the 20th century until before 1975, the Bird's Nest Festival became a traditional custom, closely associated with the lives of bird's nest workers in Khanh Hoa. The worship rituals were richer and more diverse with the Ancestor Worship Ceremony, the Worship Ceremony to the Gods who protect the bird's nest exploitation profession and pray for favorable harvests. Local authorities and bird's nest organizations played an important role in maintaining and preserving the festival.

Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Festival has gone through many stages of development from the primitive beliefs of the communities of Vinh Nguyen, Phuoc Hai, Vinh Truong, Vinh Hai, Vinh Hoa, Phuoc Long, Phuong Son, Phuong Sai wards and Phuoc Dong, Vinh Luong communes - Nha Trang city; up to now, it has become an important local festival. Maintaining this festival not only has spiritual significance but also contributes to preserving the traditional culture of Khanh Hoa province.

At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to recognize Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest Exploitation and Processing Knowledge as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/khanh-hoa-co-them-hai-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-1517371.ldo