(VOVworld)- The Nghinh Ong or Whale Worshiping Festival has become an annual religious practice of the people in Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City. The festival coincides with the Mid-autumn festival. Before the festival, everyone cleans and decorates their houses and prepares offerings to worship the Whale God while ship owners prepare their ships with colorful flags and flowers for the festival. Can Gio people who live elsewhere return home on this occasion to celebrate the festival.

The Festival is held annually at the Temple of Water General in Can Thanh commune, Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City. For fishermen in Can Gio, the Nghinh Ong festival is the most important event of the year. They believe that a big festival signals a bumper catch. For local fishermen, the festival is a chance to pay tribute to whales, who have saved them during storms. Fishermen in Can Gio honor the Whale Genie. The worshiping of the Whale Genie demonstrates the fishermen’s gratitude and their prayers for a safe bumper catch. Ngo Van Di is Head of the Temple of Water General: “Over the past 300 years, people in Can Gio have earned their living from fishing. This festival has been held annually since the Nguyen dynasty. So it has become deeply imprinted in Can Gio people’s minds”.

The Whale Worshiping Festival in Can Gio is similar to festivals in other regions of Vietnam. It’s a little bit different because the festival is held on the Mid-Autumn day and legends about the Whale Genie are closely associated with the history of Can Gio. Doctor Huynh Quoc Thang is a Lecturer of Culture Study Department of Ho Chi Minh City’s University of Social Sciences and Humanity:“Worshiping prayers, rituals and procedures reflect the common communal worshiping rites. All the rituals of worshiping the Whale Genie remind us how to behave with nature and tell us how Vietnamese people explored and developed the southern region including Ho Chi Minh City”.

In recent years, the festival has been upgraded to a national festival. Ho Chi Minh City’s culture sector has focused on preserving and promoting the festival. In addition to folk games that embrace coastal culture, many other cultural and sports activities have been added. Pham Hieu is Vice Chief Organizer of the 2014 Whale Worshipping Festival: “We called on the public to help organize some activities of the festival. Their contribution has made the festival more interesting”.

The Whale Worshipping Festival has helped to preserve and promote the cultural values, customs and tradition of the coastal people. Through the festival, Can Gio’s local authorities hope to promote local tourism.  The festival, a national intangible cultural heritage, has become a popular cultural event for people in Can Gio and elsewhere.