The Nghinh Ong Festival in Can Gio is held annually around the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

It honours ancestors who established the nation and those who died to protect the country. It also helps the city introduce its history, cultural traits and destinations to visitors.

The festival is very meaningful since it has been attached to the local people’s life for generations”, Tran Thi Loc from district 7, Ho Chi Minh City said.

The festival featured a procession from the sea to Temple Worshiping the Whale, a release of lanterns to the sea, folk games, lion dances and other traditional performances.

The event also included rituals and festive activities, including a pilgrimage to Sac Forest War Martyrs Cemetery to remember soldiers who died to protect the country, a rite to pay tribute to founders of the land and a ceremony for local fishermen to celebrate the bumper catch.

Trieu Huu Hung, a citizen from District 4 of Ho Chi Minh City said the annual festival aims to pray for good weather and bumper harvest. There are more joyful events this year, he added.

The Nghinh Ong Festival in Can Gio was regconised as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.

VNA