Elevating the Nam Hai Whale Festival heritage into a unique tourism product of Ho Chi Minh City

VOV.VN - On the morning of October 7, in the Front Beach area, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of local elders and fishermen set sail to the sea to perform the rituals to welcome Ong (Nam Hai Whale Festival). The event aims to inherit traditional values, is organized with a spirit of innovation and creativity and is expected to become an annual festival of regional scale.

According to tradition, on the 16th day of the 8th lunar month every year, fishermen from all sea areas head to the Nam Hai Whale Festival.

In Vung Tau ward, from early morning, hundreds of fishermen and elders took their boats out to sea to conduct the ceremony to welcome Ong.

From early morning, fishermen and elders set sail to sea to perform the Whale welcoming rituals.

This activity is not only an opportunity for the fishing community to remember and pay tribute to Whale – the guardian god of the ocean, but also a vivid testament to the power 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 also a cultural and religious activity, a symbol connecting the past, present and future, affirming identity, while arousing faith, pride and responsibility in preserving and developing heritage values.

After performing the rituals at sea, the whale symbol was brought back to Thang Tam Temple for local fishermen to perform the next ritual.

Mr. Tran Van Kha, 85 years old, a fisherman in Vung Tau ward, shared that fishermen who go to sea respect and believe in the whale. Every time they go to sea, they pray for a good catch of shrimp and fish. This is a custom that has been passed down for many years: "For generations, the custom left by our ancestors is that every time we go to sea, we pray to Ong Nam Hai (whale) to bless us with a prosperous business, pray for favorable weather and wind, and make the fishermen happy. Vietnamese fishermen respect and believe in the whale. This custom has been passed down to this day. Every August 16th of the lunar calendar, we welcome Ong Nam Hai and we must go to sea to pray to him," Mr. Tran Van Kha shared.

Fishermen perform the Nam Hai worship ceremony at Thang Tam Communal House - Vung Tau.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Ban, Secretary of Vung Tau Ward, said that the Thang Tam - Vung Tau Whale Festival in 2025 is one of the first typical activities organized in the ward in the new development period. Previously, this festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. As a key sea tourism area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau Ward will effectively exploit the value of this cultural heritage.

"In the coming time, Vung Tau ward will study to elevate the festival, further exploit this cultural heritage to attract domestic and foreign tourists to Vung Tau, turning the intangible cultural heritage of the Whale Festival into a tourism specialty of Vung Tau ward in the future," Mr. Nguyen Tan Ban added.

Vung Tau ward leaders said they will elevate the Whale Festival to become a unique tourism product of Ho Chi Minh City.

The Organizing Committee of the Whale Festival 2025 said that through a series of cultural, sports , culinary, artistic activities and traditional festival rituals... Vung Tau will introduce to domestic and foreign tourists a friendly, hospitable image, affirming the tourism brand of Ho Chi Minh City as dynamic, creative, modern, and rich in identity.

Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/di-san/nang-tam-di-san-nghinh-ong-nam-hai-thanh-san-pham-du-lich-dac-trung-cua-tphcm-post1235977.vov