The enduring folk festival

The Bà Chợ Được procession recently attracted thousands of people. Photo: HỒ QUÂN

Folk rituals

For many years, the ritual at the Whale God's shrine (Man Thai ward, Da Nang city) has been institutionalized through a historical village charter. The words in the charter state: "The entire community participates," referring to a communal ceremony in which all classes of fishermen participate.

On the 26th day of the first lunar month each year, the Nghinh Ong ceremony, now a fishing festival, has become a spiritual and cultural tradition in the coastal region of Da Nang.

During the festival, people sing "ba trao" - an intangible cultural form with humanistic and artistic significance that has been recognized as a national cultural heritage.

After the ceremony honoring the whale god, the people use folk songs and chants to recount the whale god's kindness in helping fishermen overcome many challenges and storms to reach shore safely.

The performance has many acts, based on folk songs and dances, depicting scenes of rough seas and strong winds throughout the night, and how a whale safely guides the group to shore…

In most of the spring village festivals of coastal communities, with their rituals and traditional boat songs, the role of the people – the fishermen – is central. From the chief officiant and the priests to the boatmen and even the spectators, all are local residents. This on-site creativity is incredibly moving and captivating…

Community nuances

People from the eastern part of Quang Nam province recently attended the largest village festival of the spring season here, the Co Ba Cho Duoc festival. This folk festival, which has existed for over a century, brings together thousands of people to pray for good fortune and prosperity in the new year.

The procession of the Goddess's palanquin is an art form expressed through communal folk performances. It also embodies many spiritual, cultural, artistic, sculptural, theatrical, customary, and ceremonial values.

"Cộ" means "palanquin," and artisans decorate a palanquin to be carried during the ceremony. The procession of the Goddess's palanquin involves carrying the Goddess and her royal decree around the market and surrounding areas.

Many local folklore researchers also refer to Được Market as meaning "Đắc Thị" (meaning "Achieving Success"). Besides being a divine being, the people of Đông Thăng Bình region have long regarded her as the founder of Được Market, also known as Bà Market - one of the three largest markets in Quảng Nam province since ancient times...

Another unique aspect of the village festival is the collective effort of thousands of people. Before the Le Ba festival, sometimes a month in advance, depending on the theme each year, people from the surrounding villages contribute money and labor to create floats and musical performances for the main ceremony. Thanks to this sense of community, the processions often attract tens of thousands of participants.

Village festivals are always fascinating.

Looking back at the two village festivals held in January, it was the unique folk culture of Quang Nam province that fostered a sense of community through the participation of the masses.

Thanks to the endless creativity of the people, the village festival has never ceased to be captivating. The festival carries within it a sense of pride in the village, and more broadly, in the homeland. This is what nourishes the soul of the entire community.

Folklorist Nguyen Hung Vi said that villages without festivals, while potentially wealthy, may not necessarily be stable. The country has approximately 7,000 festivals, the majority of which are village festivals. The "festival value system" has many aspects, but above all, festivals still hold the greatest value in fostering community cohesion.

The communal cultural character of Quang Nam province can also be found in festivals such as the Cau Bong festival in Tra Que, the Shepherd festival in villages throughout Quang Nam , and the Ky Yen rituals in village communal houses…

"What belongs to the people will usually endure." This saying is perhaps fitting for the New Year's festivals in Quang Nam province!

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