Mother Goddess Pagoda Festival-Urban Sea Port receives certificate National Intangible Cultural Heritage. (Photo: Sy Thang/VNA)

This is the fourth national intangible cultural heritage of Binh Dinh to be inscribed, following traditional martial arts, Boi singing, and Bai choi art combining music, poetry, acting, painting and literature. 

Lam Hai Giang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee, pledged to preserve local heritage. “Tuy Phuoc district together with the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh province and the people of Phuoc Quang commune with our great efforts and responsibility will make the Mother Goddess Pagoda Festival-Urban Sea Port to last forever. It will spread in the cultural flow of the nation, realising the goal of constantly improving the people's cultural and spiritual life," Giang said. 

The procession of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage certificate into the main hall of the Pagoda (Photo: Sy Thang/VNA)

The festival takes place from February 19 to 21 this year featuring typical rituals of the ancient port area: offering sacrifices to the gods who have blessed seafarers and protected locals. The rituals are followed by folk games, Boi singing, the performance of Bai choi, and traditional martial arts shows.

In 1610, the Sea Port town entered a prosperous period, as the Vietnamese from other regions of the country came to resettle their lives here and built the Mother Goddess Pagoda.