Protecting the cultural space of the Heritage "Festival of Lady of Sam Mountain"

Delegates attending the festival.

The program was organized by the People's Committee of An Giang province in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the National Commission for UNESCO to celebrate the UNESCO certificate recognizing "The Festival of Ba Chua Xu in Sam Mountain" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

UNESCO recognized the Lady's festival as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

During this event, An Giang province organized the opening ceremony of the Ba Chua Xu festival in Sam mountain in 2025; incense offering ceremony at Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb and Ba Chua Xu Temple in Sam mountain; special cultural and artistic programs, and low-altitude fireworks display.

Attending the ceremony were: Former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; General Le Hong Anh, former Standing member of the Secretariat; former Vice President Truong My Hoa; former Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh; Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh.

Party Central Committee members: Le Hong Quang, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee; Do Tien Hai, Secretary of Kien Giang Provincial Party Committee; Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Mung.

Also attending were representatives of ministries, Military Region 9; UNESCO Office in Vietnam; representatives of leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang province and provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, along with scientists, researchers, dignitaries, religious officials of An Giang province, and a large number of An Giang people and tourists.

Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain in the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area, located in Sam Mountain Ward, Chau Doc City, An Giang Province, is one of the attractive destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.

The Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival is held annually, attracting more than 4 million pilgrims and domestic and foreign tourists to come and enjoy and learn about the customs and beliefs of worshipping the Mother Goddess.

The Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival is held annually, attracting more than 4 million pilgrims and domestic and foreign tourists to come and enjoy and learn about the customs and beliefs of worshipping the Mother Goddess.

Due to the special event of receiving the UNESCO certificate inscribing the Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the opening ceremony of Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival in 2025 attracted more visitors.

On March 19, thousands of people including local residents, tourists and pilgrims came to Chau Doc to attend the ceremony, so the Sam Mountain ward area was bustling day and night. At night, the Ba Chua Xu Temple area was lit up as brightly as day.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, residing in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, attended the festival of Ba Chua Xu in Sam Mountain and shared that every year he and his relatives go to Chau Doc to visit the scenic spots in Sam Mountain and go to Ba Chua Xu Temple in Sam Mountain to pray for luck and peace.

This time attending the festival, Mr. Binh was happier because the largest spiritual festival in the Mekong Delta was internationally recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Mr. Thai Cong No, Association of Nobles, Management Board of Sam Mountain Temple, confided: For the people of Chau Doc, Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain is the Holy Mother in the goddess worship belief, always protecting and supporting the people.

Participating in the festival is to satisfy people's beliefs and wishes for health, peace and fortune. The festival also helps people in An Giang province strengthen community solidarity; helps people bond and support each other in the face of difficulties in life.

Mr. No said that he and the people of Chau Doc were extremely happy to hear that the Festival of Lady Chua Xu of Sam Mountain had been recognized by UNESCO as a representative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

And to show gratitude to our ancestors who left us this precious heritage, Mr. No, on behalf of the community, pledges to work with authorities at all levels to continue to preserve and promote the value of the heritage, and maintain the solemnity in religious practices.

Preserve and promote the value of heritage

At the ceremony, Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Vietnam, presented the certificate of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribing "Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival" on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and representatives of An Giang province.

An Giang provincial leaders received the certificate of recognition of "Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

In the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony, comrade Le Hong Quang, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for major holidays of An Giang province emphasized that this event is an honor and joy not only for An Giang province in particular, but also the common pride of the people of the whole country.

Over the past time, the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain has been constantly improved in both the ceremony and the festival. Traditional rituals have been passed down, ensuring solemnity, attracting the participation of an increasingly large number of residents from within and outside the country.

For the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang, this is a priceless reward, affirming the integrity, authenticity and outstanding global value of the heritage. From there, it helps the heritage-owning community to be more fully aware of the value of the festival in the nation's intangible cultural heritage, thereby enhancing pride, sense of responsibility, and moving towards practical measures to preserve and promote the value of the heritage.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh emphasized that the ceremony to receive the UNESCO Certificate is an honor and pride not only for the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang province, but also for the whole Southern region and Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh spoke at the festival.

This event recognizes the persistent efforts of generations in preserving and promoting the cultural and religious values ​​of the Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain. Over the past 200 years, the worship of Ba Chua Xu has become an important spiritual support for millions of people, not only in the South but also throughout the country.

The festival not only shows respect for Ba Chua Xu - who is honored as the Mother Goddess of the land, but is also a symbol of Vietnamese Mother worship, contributing to creating the national cultural identity.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized: “The Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain was recognized by UNESCO at a special time, right after the 15th National Assembly passed the amended Law on Cultural Heritage and the investment policy for the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period. This demonstrates the strong commitment of the Party and State to protecting and promoting cultural heritage, making culture an important resource in the country's sustainable development.”

The festival not only shows respect for Ba Chua Xu - who is honored as the Mother Goddess of the land, but is also a symbol of Vietnamese Mother worship, contributing to creating the national cultural identity.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang to focus on protecting the cultural space of the heritage, ensuring harmony between conservation and development, preserving the sacred landscape of Sam Mountain; preserving traditional rituals, ensuring originality and solemnity, so that future generations can continue and feel the sacred value of the festival; promoting the image of the heritage, so that each person becomes a cultural ambassador, spreading the value and promoting the festival to the world, especially on digital platforms.

Through that, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh also hopes that international organizations, especially UNESCO, will continue to accompany Vietnam in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, spreading the quintessence of national culture in the flow of human culture.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bao-ve-khong-gian-van-hoa-cua-di-san-le-hoi-via-ba-chua-xu-nui-sam-post866351.html