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Wednesday, 08/02/2017 15:35

Fishermen cherish the whale at Mekong festival

Boats and shows: More than 3,000 visitors took part in the annual Nghinh Ong (Whale Worship) Festival in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu this week. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhu Binh
Viet Nam News

BAC LIEU — More than 3,000 people took part in the annual Nghinh Ong (Whale Worship) Festival that fishermen in the Cuu Long (Mekong) province of Bac Lieu celebrate in honour of the giant marine mammals.

The three-day event ended on Monday at the Ong Duyen Hai Temple (Whale Temple) in Hoa Binh District’s Vinh Thinh Commune.

The festival featured many activities like parades on both land and sea in honour of the whale, rituals to pray for good weather and bumper catches, cultural events, a Cai Luong (Reformed Opera) performance and dragon dances.

The ninth of the first lunar month, the festival’s main day, attracted 30 fishing boats carrying locals, visitors, dragons used in the dances, gongs and drums out to sea.

Mai Thanh Binh, a local fisherman, said fishermen participate in the festival to pray for a good fishing season at sea and a prosperous life.

The festival also marks the beginning of the year’s fishing season, he said.

Ngo Quoc Vu, the festival’s deputy chief organiser, said fishermen place a lot of trust in the Nghinh Ong Festival, which has for long been an important cultural and spiritual feature in the life of locals.

It motivates fishermen to go out fishing at sea, thus improving their lives and the local economy, he added. — VNS

 

 

 

 


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