Hundred years of identity
Going back in history, more than 2 centuries ago, the Chua Xu Thanh Mau Temple was built in a rudimentary manner, located on a low-lying area to the northwest of Sam Mountain, with its back leaning against the cliff, the main hall overlooking the road and the fields of Vinh Te village. The temple is run by a custodian who burns incense every day; the village officials are in charge of the annual worship. After many renovations, the temple became more spacious. At this time, the village council took charge of managing and organizing the festival, attracting a large number of local people to come and worship. This event gradually became a big festival, imbued with the culture of the people of the Southern land. The Chua Xu Thanh Mau Festival is held from the 23rd to the 27th of the 4th lunar month, demonstrating the identity and continuity of the Kinh community in the process of cultural exchange with the Cham, Chinese and Khmer people in An Giang.
In 2001, the festival was selected by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) as one of the typical festivals to organize a national tourism festival. By 2014, the festival was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Since its recognition, the management and organization of the festival has been carried out by the locality in accordance with legal regulations, in line with the Party's guidelines on the goal of building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. Festival activities have gradually become cultural and tourism activities, honoring heritage, promoting the image of the land and people of An Giang to the people, domestic and international tourists. In 2022, the dossier of the Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain was approved by the Government to be submitted to UNESCO for consideration and recognition. On December 4, 2024, the festival was officially listed by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Provincial leaders receive the certificate of recognition of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Photo: Thanh Hung
For the people, Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain is the Holy Mother in the goddess worship, always protecting and supporting the people. The custom of worshiping Ba and participating in the festival is to satisfy the people's beliefs and wishes for health, peace and fortune. This is an educational environment for the traditional morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking water", reminding the ancestors of their merits in building and defending the country, promoting the role of women, demonstrating the exchange in creativity, cultural practice and harmony of ethnic groups with the same faith in the same territory. At the same time, the festival also helps people strengthen community solidarity; helps people share, bond and support each other in the face of difficulties in life.
Priceless Reward
“We are extremely happy to receive the news that the Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain has been recognized by UNESCO as a Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On behalf of the community practicing the Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain Heritage, we would like to thank the Central leaders, provincial leaders, and UNESCO for their attention, recognition, and honoring of the traditional cultural values of the Ba Chua Xu Festival not only domestically but also internationally,” said Mr. Thai Cong No (Association of the Noble Priests, Management Board of Sam Mountain Temple).
Mr. No's joy is also the joy of all the people of An Giang, where the unique cultures of the ethnic groups in the Southwest intersect. This event recognizes the persistent efforts of generations in preserving and promoting the cultural and religious values of the Sam Mountain Ba Chua Xu Festival. 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 spread throughout the country. The festival not only shows respect for Ba Chua Xu - who is honored as the mother of the land, but is also a symbol of the Vietnamese mother worship, contributing to creating the national cultural identity.
An Giang Provincial Party Secretary Le Hong Quang beats the drum to open the 2025 Via Ba festival. Photo: Trung Hieu
Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam, sent his most sincere congratulations to all those who contributed to the achievement: “Vietnam has always been at the forefront of efforts to preserve and promote the value of heritage. This event also contributes to enriching the list of intangible cultural heritages in Vietnam recognized by UNESCO. Moreover, the success of this nomination is a testament to the joint efforts of the Vietnamese Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the An Giang provincial government, local communities and heritage practitioners who have worked tirelessly to document, protect and promote this invaluable heritage.”
Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee Le Hong Quang emphasized: “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; helping the community owning the heritage to be more fully aware of the value of the festival in the treasure trove of intangible cultural heritage of the nation. Thereby, raising pride, sense of responsibility, aiming at practical measures to preserve and promote the value of the heritage. In that excitement and pride, we are deeply aware of the great responsibility for the value of the heritage for today's and future generations. The provincial leaders will continue to well implement the heritage protection policy in accordance with the commitment to UNESCO, ensuring the originality of the ritual system, limiting commercialization, preserving the natural landscape of Sam mountain area; promoting propaganda activities, raising awareness of the whole society, especially the young generation, about the protection and development of the heritage. promote heritage values; exploit the potential and heritage values in a sustainable manner, associated with environmental protection, preserving the original cultural space, so that each visitor coming to the festival not only experiences a special spiritual space, but also feels the rich, diverse and unique Southern culture.
Responsibility to promote heritage
The Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain is the 16th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO, and the second heritage of the Southern region (after the art of Don ca tai tu). In particular, this is the first traditional festival of the Mekong Delta to be honored. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong called on ministries, branches, local authorities at all levels, relevant agencies, communities that are the subjects of the intangible cultural heritage of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain, and people nationwide to jointly implement the National Action Program to protect and promote the value of this precious intangible cultural heritage.
“In which, raise awareness and capacity of the community, cultural subjects; continue to research, inventory, collect, document the heritage of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival in Sam Mountain; digitize and build a database to introduce and promote the festival; organize the teaching of knowledge, skills to practice heritage in the community; organize the exhibition and performance of folk arts of the communities practicing in the festival in the provincial museum. Every year, organize the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival in Sam Mountain solemnly, respectfully, economically, in accordance with the principles of heritage practice, with the participation of the people, contributing to connecting the community, praying for the peace and prosperity of the country. Build a diverse program of cultural, educational and communication activities to introduce and promote to raise awareness and responsibility of society for protecting and promoting the heritage value of the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival in Sam Mountain. Improve the capacity of cultural management, cultural heritage management for "People working in the cultural sector at the grassroots level, together with the community, should make plans to restore, protect, maintain and promote the heritage value of the Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain. Strengthen training and update knowledge about the Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain and the management of intangible cultural heritage for local cultural managers and professionals," emphasized Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong.
Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh expressed: “International organizations, especially UNESCO, continue to accompany Vietnam in the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, spreading the quintessence of national culture in the flow of human culture. Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the soul of the nation, and at the same time an important driving force for socio-economic development. Promoting culture means promoting endogenous strength, arousing patriotism, national pride and the aspiration to build a prosperous and happy country. The Via Ba Chua Xu Sam Mountain Festival 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 period 2025 - 2035. This demonstrates the strong commitment of the Party and State in protecting and promoting cultural heritage, making culture an important resource in the sustainable development of the country”.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/thoi-su/gia-tri-toan-cau-cua-di-san-le-hoi-via-ba-chua-xu-nui-sam-a417348.html
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