The unique and attractive Thang Tam Whale Festival

The Nghinh Ong Thang Tam parade on Quang Trung street on the morning of October 7, 2025

This is not only a sacred traditional festival of coastal fishermen, carrying profound spiritual values with the wish for a bountiful harvest, a prosperous and happy life, but also a key cultural- tourism event of Ho Chi Minh City, included in the series of major city-level festival activities in 2025.

This year, the Nghinh Ong Thang Tam festival takes place for 1 week (from 5 to 12/10) with many unique and attractive activities. Of which, 7/10 is the main ceremony attracting thousands of people and tourists to participate.

Unique and attractive

Nghinh Ong Festival is one of the major traditional festivals of coastal provinces, including Ho Chi Minh City. In some localities such as Binh Chau commune, Phuoc Hai commune, Long Hai commune... Nghinh Ong festival is held, but the most typical is Nghinh Ong Thang Tam festival, Vung Tau ward.

Mr. Le Quang Duong, Deputy of the Worship Committee of Thang Tam Temple, said that in the main ceremony of the Festival of Nghinh Ong Thang Tam, the elders of Thang Tam Temple, boat owners and the Organizing Committee attended the procession at sea. The procession departed from Cau Da port, including dozens of ships, boats of fishermen and supporting forces such as Border Guards, Coast Guard, decorated with colorful flags and flowers, heading towards Nghinh Phong Cape. When arriving at Hon Ba Temple area, the procession performed a fishing prayer ceremony. After that, the group returned to gather at Bai Truoc.

“In the past, the festival was only limited to fishermen in coastal fishing villages. Over the years, the festival has attracted a large number of people, especially those working on the river, at sea, and tourists to come and offer incense and pray for health, good luck, and peace,” said Mr. Duong.

Special art performances at the festival.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Ban, Secretary of the Vung Tau Ward Party Committee, said that the Whale Festival is not only an occasion for the fishing community to remember and pay tribute to the Whale - the guardian deity of the sea, but also a vivid demonstration of the strength of folk culture, the spirit of solidarity, loyalty and the aspiration to go offshore of the people of Vung Tau through many generations. This is not only a cultural and religious activity, but also a symbol connecting the past, present and future, affirming identity, while arousing faith, pride and responsibility to preserve and promote heritage values.

After the solemn opening ceremony, the Organizing Committee beat three drums and three gongs to signal the Whale Festival to march along the route: Quang Trung-Truong Cong Dinh-Tran Hung Dao-Hoang Hoa Tham street, ending at Thang Tam communal house. On the parade route, the lion-monkey-dragon troupe performed beautifully while walking; interspersed with drums, gongs, and five-tone music, the streets were colorful with flags, flowers, and colorful costumes, creating excitement for local people and tourists.

The Nghinh Ong Thang Tam Vung Tau Festival is imbued with the Southern folk culture and the unique culture of fishermen in the coastal area of Ho Chi Minh City, which has been preserved for generations. Therefore, in addition to traditional rituals such as: welcoming Ong from the sea to enshrine at Thang Tam Temple, worshiping the ancestors and heroic martyrs, inviting the god's decree to the Nam Hai Ong Tomb, worshiping Nam Hai Ong, building the great altar ceremony... people can also enjoy many cultural activities during the festival such as: watching Ba Trao singing, Boi singing, ancient Tuong, lion-unicorn-dragon dancing.

Will be a unique festival tourism product

This year's Nghinh Ong Thang Tam Festival takes place from October 4 to 12 with many unique and exciting activities to attract tourists and promote the image of "Vung Tau - A unique cultural, sports and sea tourism destination". In addition to sports activities, the festival has many activities such as: Sea culture week and festival; sea swimming competition; walking; painting exhibition; folk games; "Ring the Golden Bell" contest...

Ms. Skye Gigi (a tourist from the US) said: “I have heard about the Whale worshiping belief of fishermen in the coastal area and this is the first time I have attended the festival so I am very excited. We made an appointment to wake up early to go to Front Beach, wait for the Whale Festival group to return from the sea. After that, we joined the parade to Thang Tam Temple. During our days traveling to Vung Tau, we had memorable souvenir photos when we participated in this traditional festival.”

Secretary of Vung Tau Ward Party Committee Nguyen Tan Ban added: “This year, the festival takes place in a new context: Vung Tau Ward is identified as a key coastal tourism ward of Ho Chi Minh City, a place with full potential to become the heart of event tourism, a high-class cultural-festival tourism center. Therefore, the Nghinh Ong Thang Tam Festival 2025 not only inherits traditional values, but is also organized with a spirit of innovation, creativity, science, and professionalism, with the expectation of becoming an annual festival of regional stature”.

Through a series of rich activities, from traditional rituals to the festival with cultural, sports, culinary and artistic programs, we not only introduce the image of the friendly and hospitable land and people of Vung Tau, but also affirm the event-festival tourism brand associated with the strategy of building Ho Chi Minh City into an "international, dynamic, creative, modern and rich-identity tourist destination". At the same time, we affirm that the Nghinh Ong Thang Tam festival is a unique festival tourism product of the city and the region.