Thousands of locals and tourism flocked to Phan Thiet city, in the south central province of Binh Thuan on September 1 to join the ‘Nghinh Ong xuat du’ ritual, a key part of the biennial Nghinh Ong (Whale Worship) festival.

At the ‘Nghinh Ong xuat du’ ritual

Some 1,000 people masqueraded as the nation’s legends, and processed Ong’s tablet through the streets of Nguyen Hue, Dinh Tien Hoang, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. Stellar dances and martial art performances were featured during the process.

The highlight of the ritual was the performance of a 49-metre long dragon, the longest one in Vietnam.

Various traditional rituals were revived at the event, aiming to preserve and develop the folk culture of the Hoa ethnic community in Phan Thiet city as well as pray for peace, favourable weather conditions, bumper crop, happiness and prosperity.

The festival, together with four others, was chosen to serve tourism development in the province, making contributions to popularising local images among domestic and international friends.

This year’s event took place from August 30 to September 1.

Phan Thiet city worked to ensure social order, traffic safety, and hygiene during the festival.

Nghing Ong or Cau Ngu festival is a cultural identity of south central coastal localities, which has been preserved and passed down through generations. The festival is to pray for bumper hauls of fish, safe voyages and peace for the nation.-VNA