Cau Ngu kicks off in Phan Thiet

02.08.07 The Cau Ngu Festival began in Phan Thiet on Wednesday and will end on Saturday. In the Cau Ngu ("Fish Prayer") Festival, participants pray to the "big fish" (whale, dolphins, sharks, etc.), asking them not to hinder them in fishing trips during the coming year.

The festival includes the "NGHINH ONG" ("Man Welcome "--or in this case "Fish Welcome"). When a whale or a giant dolphin died and was washed ashore, people gave them an elaborate funeral to welcome the spirit of the fish. Women once cried and went into elaborate mourning to show their respect and venoration for the animals. Their remains are then stored in a local temple.

When participants ‘CAU NGU’, they also ‘NGHINH ONG’ at the same time, with or without any dead fish. The festival demonstrates the duality of both respect and adoration, as well as bondage to fear that is present in many local festivals and religious practices.

In the past fishmen used to tattoo their bodies to scare away whales and sharks when they fall into the water. They also painted their boats with eyes, fins, scales and tails for the same effect.

Previously, the provincial government has combined the festival with the Chinese "Quan Kong" celebration, which remembers the birthday of a Chinese general and warrior-saint, who is honored by the local ethnic Chinese community. The holiday happends at about the same time, and is an opportunity for the local government to promote an even larger tourism event.

Phan Thiet Cau Ngu Festival

21.07.07 In Phan Thiet City from August 1 to 4, visitors have an opportunity to observe a traditional festival for fishermen called 'Cau Ngu'. Cau Ngu is a local festival, and involves worship of Ong Nam Hai, or the Whale, which is believed to help fishermen. During Cau Ngu, fishermen pray for calm seas, an abundant catch of fish, and peace for all. The celebrations consist of both religious customs and activities for entertainment. In Phan Thiet, the festival is centered at Van Thuy Tu Temple, a national cultural site containing some 100 sets of whale bones, including the largest whale bones in Vietnam. Hundreds of large and small boats will take part in the ceremony of Nghinh Ong, which is the heart of the festival. Fishermen in traditional costumes will parade in their boats, inviting the souls of whales from the ocean to come to Phan Thiet, in order to receive offerings and aid the fishermen in the next year. The festival will continue with a procession of floating flower garlands and colored lanterns on Ca Ty river. At night, the river will sparkle with some 5,000 lanterns. The festival also includes dragon boat and coracle racing. The best place to observe the festivities is along the riverfront at the Phan Thiet Market downtown. As with any large festival, leave your valuables at your hotel. The festivities draw large crowds from around the province, which makes them a prime opportunity for pick-pockets.

Dragons of Nghinh Ong Rear Heads, Phan Thiet

11.08.06 Residents of Phan Thiet this weekend are celebrating the biennial Nghinh Ong Festival, which will take place between August 11 and 14.

Nghinh Ong is devoted to whale worship and is celebrated at the Ong pagoda by thousands of Chinese and Vietnamese participants. It originated in the Chinese community. People gather to pray for happiness, health and good fortune for family and friends. Ong Pagoda was built to worship Quan Kong in November 1770 (Year of the Tiger), in Duc Nghia Precinct, Phan Thiet City. It has a beautiful Chinese architecture and a statue of Quan Kong as well as an old bell originally cast in Guang Tung (China). On festival days, the pagoda is decorated with flower garlands. Colorful lanterns are hung during the night.

The normal festivities include an enormous parade with costumed performers and dragon, kylin, and lion dances with nearly 20 Chinese clubs from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Ninh Thuan, Tay Ninh, Long An, Can Tho, and Hue. The highlight is always a performance by a troupe of 150 people forming a kylin--a mythical beast looking like a cross between a lion and a dragon--and the longest in SouthEast Asia.

HCMC’s Tran Huu Trang Theater will also put on cai luong (traditional southern opera) - Luong Son Ba-Chuc Anh Dai, and Thanh Xa-Bach Xa (Green and White Snakes) shows.

This year’s official program (added to by local officials) is scheduled to also include a traditional Chinese fashion show, with Fujian, Hainan, Chaozhou and Guangzhou inspired clothes.

Although celebrated in some other parts of the country, the best place to view the festivities, as with the Mid Autumn festival, is considered to be Phan Thiet. It is truely a unique cultural event and untainted by the modern tourism industry because it is still produced for and by the local community in traditional form.

As with any large gathering of people, it is best to leave your valuables back at the hotel when you visit the parade or other festivities. Gangs of pick-pockets and thieves from other cities and provinces often show up during festivals to take advantage of the crowds (Phan Thiet otherwise has a extremely low crime rate). Take precautions to keep cameras and wallets secure.