Lo Dieu Fishing Festival: Preserving the cultural identity of the sea

Follow Gia Lai Newspaper on Google News

According to Nguyen Van Ut (TNO)

June 22, 2024 17:54

Northern men
Northern women
Southern women
Southern men

The Central Coast is entering the calm season, which is also the time when people in Lo Dieu village (Hoai My commune, Hoai Nhon district, Binh Dinh province) are excitedly welcoming the traditional fishing festival.

This year's festival takes place from June 20 to 23 (May 15 to 18 of the lunar calendar). With a history of more than 500 years in Lo Dieu village, the festival is not only an occasion to pray for favorable weather and bountiful harvests, but also a vivid demonstration of the strong vitality of maritime culture.

The opening ceremony of the 4-day and night fishing festival is the Nam Hai Whale welcoming ceremony - a sacred ceremony bearing the imprint of the whale worshiping beliefs of the fishermen in the Central region. The boat procession carrying the Ong palanquin returns from the open sea amidst the bustling sound of gongs and the welcome of the entire village. The ritual of entering the temple and singing the boat song afterwards further enhances the solemn and respectful atmosphere.

Nam Hai Whale Welcome Ceremony

In particular, the Ghost Welcome Ceremony - a unique ritual in Lo Dieu, shows the respect and remembrance of the people for the deceased, and at the same time prays for peace for the whole community. In a solemn atmosphere, the ceremony is performed with sincere prayers.

Cultural colors in every activity

The festival took place enthusiastically with games imbued with the colors of the sea such as rowing baskets, shaking baskets and folk games such as soccer, duck catching, sack jumping... These games not only created a joyful and exciting atmosphere but also served as an opportunity for the community to bond.

The festival is also a place to preserve traditional folk art forms that need to be preserved and promoted. Tuong (hat boi) performance takes place during the four nights of the festival, contributing to the preservation and maintenance of this national intangible cultural heritage in a cultural space imbued with the identity of the land of Nau.

Preserving and spreading traditional values

The Lo Dieu fishing festival is not only a cultural activity but also a link between the past, present and future, an opportunity for Lo Dieu's descendants, no matter where they are, to turn to their homeland, together preserving the beauty of the ocean culture that has been deeply imprinted in their blood for generations.

Hát tuồng, Lắc thúng, bơi thúng, và nhiều trò chơi khác làm cho Lễ hội đa dạng màu sắc.

Singing opera, shaking baskets, rowing baskets, and many other games make the festival colorful.

Mr. Le Van Tay, a son of Lo Dieu who currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "Every year I arrange my work to come back to attend the festival. The festival is an opportunity for me to connect more with my village community, to return and love my homeland even more."

Tàu Không Số là một biểu tượng và niềm tự hào của người dân Lộ Diêu

The Ship Without Number is a symbol and pride of the people of Lo Dieu.

Mr. Tran Thanh Sy, head of Van Lo Dieu, said: "Lo Dieu village has been established for more than 500 years, with many traditional community values. We are grateful to the sea, grateful to our ancestors and always strive to preserve these traditional values, strive to keep Lo Dieu always rich and beautiful for our present and future descendants."