An Giang ceremony to celebrate UNESCO recognition for temple festival

The southern province of An Giang will organise a ceremony to celebrate the recognition of its Festival of the Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The event on March 19 at the Sam Mountain National Tourism Site in Châu Đốc City will be attended by over 2,000 officials, local residents and tourists.

The southern province of An Giang will organise a ceremony to celebrate the recognition of its Festival of the Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

The event slated for today at the Sam Mountain National Tourism Site in Châu Đốc City will be attended by a large number of officials, local residents and tourists.

Before the ceremony, the organising committee will make offerings at the Thoại Ngọc Hầu Mausoleum and the Temple of Bà Chúa Xứ (Holy Mother of the Realm).

The main event will feature the presentation of the UNESCO certificate and an opening ceremony, and will be accompanied by music and art performances and a fireworks display.

There will be a screening of a documentary about the festival and reenactments of historical events.

The ceremony would not only promote An Giang’s cultural heritage but also raise awareness of the cultural and historical value of the festival, the organisers said.

It also aims to encourage collective efforts to preserve and innovate intangible heritages while promoting the province's multi-ethnic cultures.

The Festival of the Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess, held from the 22nd to 27th of the fourth lunar month, is celebrated by the Kinh, Khmer, Chăm, and Hoa ethnic groups in Châu Đốc.

As one of the biggest religious events in the south the celebration expresses gratitude to the goddess for her protection of the people's prosperity, health, and peace.

It also celebrates the role of women in society and commemorates ancestors’ contributions to the nation’s history.

It features a palanquin procession, a bathing ceremony to change the clothes and jewelry of the statue of the goddess and the preparation and presentation of offerings.

Việt Nam now has UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status for 16 events nationwide.