Tens of thousands of people jostle to see the fishing festival in Thanh Hoa

As usual every year, on the 22nd of the second lunar month, the people and authorities of Ngu Loc commune (Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province) solemnly organize the Cau Ngu festival. This is a long-standing traditional festival of the people of the coastal village and is also a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

From early morning on March 21, on all large and small roads of Ngu Loc commune, people and tourists flocked to the sea dike to wait to watch the palanquin procession, Long Chau procession and drumming and lion dance performances.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duc (82 years old, Ngu Loc commune) said that the fishing festival has existed for a long time. In the past, it was often held on the coast, on high sand dunes. But later, when the population was dense, the sea water eroded deeply, and a breakwater had to be built, so the organization was brought to the cultural center of the commune.

According to the elders in the commune, the Cau Ngu festival originated from the name of the Cau Mat festival of the residents of Diem Pho village since the village was first established during the Le dynasty.

The gods worshiped at this festival are Tam Bao Phat, Tu Vi Thanh Nuong, Dong Hai Dai Vuong, Ne Son Ton Than, Nam Hai Dai Tuong Quan... This is the biggest festival of the year in the locality and also the biggest and most typical festival of the coastal area of ​​Thanh Hoa province.

According to custom, the organization of the festival has great significance in terms of spirituality and culture of the coastal region. During the festival, the clans and people in the commune come to offer prayers for favorable weather, national peace and prosperity, a successful fishing season, and a prosperous and happy life for fishermen.

Ngu Loc Commune's Fishing Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 11, 2017, and is considered the largest Fishing Festival in Thanh Hoa province.

Ngu Loc Commune is known as a commune with no agricultural land, mainly living on the sea and is the most densely populated locality in the country. The residential land area of ​​the whole commune is very small, only 0.46km2, while the population is more than 18,000 people, so the population density is up to 36,000 people/km2.

According to the 2019 census, Ngu Loc's population density is 15 times higher than Hanoi and 8.25 times higher than Ho Chi Minh City. Even Monaco, the country with the highest population density in the world, only has 19,500 people/km2.