ID :
82399
Wed, 09/30/2009 - 12:33
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/82399
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annual Nghinh Ong or Whale Worship Festival
HCM City (VNA) – The annual Nghinh Ong or Whale Worship Festival, a traditional
festival for fishermen, will begin on Oct. 2 in HCM City ’s only coastal
district, Can Gio.
The manager of the district’s Department of Culture and Information, Nguyen Van
Tot, said that the four-day festival would open at several venues at 8am in Can
Thanh Town .
On the third day, a ceremonial offering will be made by village elders in the
traditional manner to show people’s gratitude to the whale and commemorate those
fishermen that had died at sea.
The offering, one of the highlights of the entire festival, will feature a palanquin
procession from Lang Ong Thuy Tuong, or the Whale Tomb, to the sea and a whale
welcome ceremony involving a fleet of 500 boats.
The rituals will be followed by festivities to celebrate the community’s
well-being and prosperity last year. This will involve several folk performances
like playing football on stilts, unicorn dances, tying crabs and wrestling, with
the highlight being a performance of human chess.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism, said the district is hoping to turn the Nghing Ong Festival into a major
tourist event and develop local tourism by focusing on sights, culture and history,
he said.
“Can Gio has potential to develop a wide range of eco-tourism. We aim to develop
the district into an ideal weekend destination for city residents,” he said.
A road connecting the city with the district, the first of its kind, would be
completed this year, he said.
The districts lacks enough facilities or services to host a large number of
international tourists but is likely to welcome around 3,000 visitors every day.
The HCM City Youth&Children Outdoor Activities Centre at the district’s Long Hoa
Commune will offer an exploratory two-day tour of the Can Gio mangrove forest at a
moderate 413,000 VND.
Can Gio District, situated around 50km to the southeast of downtown HCM
City , spreads over 70,421 ha. Well over half of it is occupied by forests,
22,850 ha by canals and rivers, and the most of the rest by aquaculture
farmers, orchards and salt fields.
The mangrove forest here was recognised as Vietnam ’s first biosphere reserve
by UNESCO in 2000, joining a global network of 368 others in 91 nations.-Enditem
festival for fishermen, will begin on Oct. 2 in HCM City ’s only coastal
district, Can Gio.
The manager of the district’s Department of Culture and Information, Nguyen Van
Tot, said that the four-day festival would open at several venues at 8am in Can
Thanh Town .
On the third day, a ceremonial offering will be made by village elders in the
traditional manner to show people’s gratitude to the whale and commemorate those
fishermen that had died at sea.
The offering, one of the highlights of the entire festival, will feature a palanquin
procession from Lang Ong Thuy Tuong, or the Whale Tomb, to the sea and a whale
welcome ceremony involving a fleet of 500 boats.
The rituals will be followed by festivities to celebrate the community’s
well-being and prosperity last year. This will involve several folk performances
like playing football on stilts, unicorn dances, tying crabs and wrestling, with
the highlight being a performance of human chess.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism, said the district is hoping to turn the Nghing Ong Festival into a major
tourist event and develop local tourism by focusing on sights, culture and history,
he said.
“Can Gio has potential to develop a wide range of eco-tourism. We aim to develop
the district into an ideal weekend destination for city residents,” he said.
A road connecting the city with the district, the first of its kind, would be
completed this year, he said.
The districts lacks enough facilities or services to host a large number of
international tourists but is likely to welcome around 3,000 visitors every day.
The HCM City Youth&Children Outdoor Activities Centre at the district’s Long Hoa
Commune will offer an exploratory two-day tour of the Can Gio mangrove forest at a
moderate 413,000 VND.
Can Gio District, situated around 50km to the southeast of downtown HCM
City , spreads over 70,421 ha. Well over half of it is occupied by forests,
22,850 ha by canals and rivers, and the most of the rest by aquaculture
farmers, orchards and salt fields.
The mangrove forest here was recognised as Vietnam ’s first biosphere reserve
by UNESCO in 2000, joining a global network of 368 others in 91 nations.-Enditem
