Ba Ria - VungTau is one of the nation’s
seven targeted areas being given priority to develop tourism. It has a
specially important position in the system of tourist area of the South
and the southern Central Region in particular and of the whole nation in
general.
Ba temple festival(Open within 3 days (October 16th-18th of lunar calendar))
Next by Ba Ngu Hanh temple festival is
also very famous. Ba Ngu Hanh temple located in the left of Thang Tam
temple which is constructed by fishermen for worshiping 5 Goddess:
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Soil and water dragon Goddess, Y Ana Goddess.
Vung Tau people called out name as 7 Ba. The festival is held on 16th,
17th, 18th of lunar October with procession of flags, umbrella, five
offerings, alcohol, fruits, gong, drum, eight kinds of musical sounds,
palanqueen for welcome Ba, dances of golden food tray, , silver food
troy, Bóng Rỗi, ceremony for welcome Goddess, dragon dances, offer
sacrifices, request for colour, showing ceremony “Vietnamese opera”, and
many folk pastimes.
Dinh Co Festival(Open within 3 days (February 10th-12th of lunar calendar)
As the same “Chua Hon” in Kien Giang,
“Nui Sam” in An Giang, named “Dinh Co”in Long Hai has acquainted with
tourists everywhere for long.
It is a small temple located on the full
wind hill top in Long Hai Beach which has been worshiping the water
died virgin girl. Dinh Co has been building by old available religious
beliefs of people. According to legend, before 186 years, the 16 aged
girl s’dead body with name Le Thi Hong Thuy drifted on seashore, her
countryside in Phan Rang, following her father, Mr Le Van Khuong who
built a wooden barge at full sail from the Centre to the South of
Vietnam for catching fishes and exchanging bamboo knited products.
Everytime the wooden barge crossing at Long Hai Beach, she saw charming
natural scenery and wished staying for life. At storm night, the god
pleased her wish carrying her over the waves and drifted ashore, lay
down on white sand. She had been protected by sand pushing up and rocked
her to sleep by waves. She is considered a sacred goddess by villagers
who have built her grave next temple in the hillock.
At first, it is only soil grave, bamboo
temple. The temple and grave are changed following wonder-working which
has been more and more spreading out.
Once (in 1966), the temple flared up, and had been restored spaciously. In the beginning of the year 1990, Dinh Co has been restored to become the solid palace at present by expenditure which is contributed from people everywhere.
Once (in 1966), the temple flared up, and had been restored spaciously. In the beginning of the year 1990, Dinh Co has been restored to become the solid palace at present by expenditure which is contributed from people everywhere.
Since Dinh Co’s appearance for
incense-smoke, Long Hai fishermen have more spirit strong to face in
difficulties. The villagers usually assign their achievement for her,
and fabricate poetic delight legend, mainly she return out to help good
people overcome difficulties. Long Hai people’s respectment offering her
has become their custom that it hided their aspiration and belief for
prosperous and peaceful life.
Every year, the festival usually open
within 3 days (February 10th, 11th, 12th of lunar calendar), all day and
night. Tens thousand tourists everywhere from western countryside, Ho
Chi Minh city, Lam Dong, Bình Thuan province…go to Long Hai in crowds
for “Giỗ Cô” festival in Duong forest, sand beach, hall, free space for
overnight to join all 3 days of the festival. Someone must come early
some days to seek lodging for the night. Some family with their children
bring housewife belongings for eating and sleeping right away. Lower
night, hubbub Duong forest, soughing wave, flare of moon, inmense
wind…whose all made in charming scenery for people forgeting
difficulties and feeling happy with going on a pilgrimage in the open
air.
From early morning of 10 th of lunar
February, people start to visit Cô. Each one hold in hand a white lily
branch standing for pure. The youth like joyful, the religious olders,
they all overcome 187 stone steps in crowds to offer incense for bud in
central chamber. The nights of 10, 11 are festival nights with flower
garlands and coloured lanterns and mixed moon. Tens thousand of boats
direct to Dinh Co where gong resound, drum-beat is noisy all night.
Basic festival is held on early morning
of 12th. Orderly people group with flag from central chamber to beach on
boat directing to sea for “Nghinh Cô” festival which is celebrated
stately. The head is leading group of pupil with flags, umbrellas,
flower garlands and coloured lanterns. A big boat with incense-table for
“Nghinh Cô” is escorted by tens other boats in series direct to the sea
in sound of gongs and drum-beat. To Mui Nho, place of her grave, they
leave the boats for visiting her grave, and welcoming her to come back
the palace. Especially show form “Hát bả trạo” is still preserved
in“Nghinh Cô” festival. According to Dr. Ton That Binh, “Haùt baû traïo”
mean is sang with dar in hand , a popular type of folk-song of
fishermen from Binh Tri Thien province (old) to Binh Thuan province
where is often held “Hát bả trạo” in whale funeral ceremony. And Long
Hai, ‘Hát bả trạo” is appeared in “Nghinh Cô” festival which show form
is not different from “Hát bả trạo” of Southern Centre sea area’s
fishermen, (cung co tổng khoang, tổng muõi, tổng lái) and group of
crowing friends from 12 to 16 people. It’s only different from “Ngưỡng
vong cổ” song’s content (instead of regreting and praising whale) and
prayer of quiet sea and sunshine, with full boats of shrimps and fishes .
Tone and song proved “Haùt baû traïo” of “Nghinh Cô” festival in Long
Hải is more broad-minded and lyrical than deeply in worry of the Central
southern part sea area’ s.
It’s most funny for charming tourists
not in interior chamber that in Long Hai beach sight where is crowded in
festival. Standing in the central chamber hall you feel as in interfere
between sea and sky, true and false life, float wave, and Dinh Co in
position of “phục long” for flying. Therefore coming to Dinh Co festival
is not only religioners that writers, poets, couples of boy and girl
for affecting by their heart.
Double nine (9th day of 9th) lunar month festival(Open 01 day ( September nigth of 8th -9th of lunar calendar)
Yearly, double nine (9th day of 9th)
lunar month festival take place in Long Son big house from 8th to 9th of
lunar September. This is festival praying for peace, health to
everyboby. The night of 8th lunar September is the first meat ceremonial
offerings which products are mainly offered by people and the 9th of
lunar September is vegetarian main death anniversary, the festival is
held not as magnificent as other festivals that mainly go for incense
offerings, pray, and recollect to Mr Tran’s virtues. However in these
days, tens of thousand tourists everywhere concentrate here, especially
is the people of Southern west and east’s provinces who think themselves
as Mr Tran’s religioners. Coming to the festival Tourists can find out
new things which are made by residents’ aspirations and wishes to
supplement for their knowledge treasure.
Nghinh Ong festival in Vung Tau(Open within 3 days (August 16th-18th of lunar calendar)
Nghinh Ong festival in Vung Tau is one
of 15 selected festivals which are the biggest in 2000 by Information
Culture Ministry and Tourism Gerneral Department.
Nghing Ong festival and whale worshiping custom are originated from totem religion of the edge of sea’s residents in Vietnam, popularly from Thanh Hoa sea area to Kien Giang Province.
Nghing Ong festival and whale worshiping custom are originated from totem religion of the edge of sea’s residents in Vietnam, popularly from Thanh Hoa sea area to Kien Giang Province.
Everyyear, villagers all hold Nghinh Ong
festival in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province area including in wards: Binh Chau
(Xuyen Moc District), Phuoc Hai, Phuoc Tinh, Long Hai (Long Dat Dist.),
Temples of Thang Nhat, Thang Nhi, Thang Tam (Vung Tau City)…typically
is Lang Ong festival – Thang Tam Temple.
According to legend, whale worshiping
customs is originated from Cham ethnic minority: “Because of Cha-aih-va
named God want to come back quickly to his country after difficult
magical practice that he answered back his trainer and self-wiiled
deformed to become the whale.
Since then, everytime any boat is falled
into calamity, the God always help them to the seashore. According to
Viet race legends, the whale is Bodhisattva Goddess of mecy tearing
monk’s robe to pieces and lowering down the sea surface for rescue all
living creatures falling into calamity.
In Nguyen Dynasty’s history writed out:
when Nguyen Anh Lord escaped outside Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang) in a
big storm, the boat was going to shipwreck, he had prayed and been
saved. After he recovered our country independence to become Gia Long
King (Nguyen Anh Lord) and confer whale a title “Nam Hai Cu Toc Ngoc Lan
Thuong Dang Than”.
The edge of sea residents respect whale as the spiritual God who help them in falling into calamity
Nghinh Ong festival in Thang Tam temple
is held on 16th, 17th, 18th of lunar August every year. In Ong royal
tomb still preserve many whale’ skeletons which the first one was in
1868 when had been drifted on Thuy Van beach, Vung Tau city. This
skeleton is weighty about 4 tons and long about 30 m. At present, Ong
royal tomb has been preserving 2 honours in 1846 and 1850 under Tu Duc
dynasty.
Nghinh Ong festival is held by the
regional residents’ participation. Early morning, the festival start
with people group included old men, village communes…going up a big boat
which decored with flowers, flags, altar and ancestral tablet, the five
notes group, gongs, drums, and lion dances group come to the defined
location for offering incense, alcohol.
After that, group of boats come back
wharf to welcome Ong to the temple, continuously the incense offering
ceremony for our virtuous ancestors and virtuous posterities, reading
funeral oration, honous, and then offering tea, flower and alcohol of
pupils…
Come to the festival, tourists is
enjoyed some items as follow: martial arts, dragon dances, Hat Boi…with
harmony rhythm of gong sound, drum-beat in full incense.
Nghinh Ong is the occation of sea-farer who are wishing safe for themselves, catching more fishes and shrimps, the happy forever, full life. Nghinh Ong festival where everyboby memorize to return thanks, when drinking water remember its source to be grateful.
Nghinh Ong is the occation of sea-farer who are wishing safe for themselves, catching more fishes and shrimps, the happy forever, full life. Nghinh Ong festival where everyboby memorize to return thanks, when drinking water remember its source to be grateful.
Thang Tam sacred temple festival(Open within 3 days (February 10th-12th of lunar calendar)
Thang Tam sacred temple is the
community’s architecture included: Thang Tam sacred temple, Ba Ngu Hanh
temple, Ong Nam Hai royal tomb. According to legends, Thang Tam sacred
temple has been worshiping all 3 persons (Pham Van Dinh, Le Van Loc, Ngo
Van Huyen) who have the merit of doing construction of 3 Thang villages
in Vung Tau. Everyyear, Thang Tam sacred temple festival is held within
4 days from 17th to 20th of lunar February. This is quiet-seeking
festival and time of finishing and starting for fishes and shrimps crop.
The ceremony take place fussy included: offer sacrifices, incense
offering, gong and drum, clarinet, and taboo things as: pig for offering
sacrifices in the same coat colour, mourning people should not join.
The festival has many pastimes as dragon dances, Vietnamese opera. Thang
Tam temple festival is special cultural activity of Vung Tau sea area’s
fishermen. It filled with folk culture and national character.
- Vung Tau travel guide
- Vietnam tour package
- Events and Festival in Vung Tau
