Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang

The Ponagar Tower Festival in Khanh Hoa province, also known as the Thien Ya Na Holy Mother Festival or the Goddess Festival, is an intangible cultural heritage, belonging to the category of traditional festivals, and was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (in 2012). The Ponagar Tower Festival takes place annually at the national historical and cultural site of Ponagar Tower, on Cu Lao hill, in Vinh Phuoc ward, Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province.

Preparing for the procession of the Holy Mother.

The Ponagar Tower Festival, also known as the Thien Ya Na Holy Mother Festival or the Goddess Festival, is held annually from the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month with many attractive activities. Join Vietnam.vn in experiencing this festival through the photo series "Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang" by author Nguyen An Di. The Ponagar Tower Festival is a festival of the Cham people in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa , Vietnam. It is the largest folk festival of the year in Khanh Hoa province, commemorating the goddess Yang Po Inư Nagar – who made many contributions to the people, bringing good fortune and happiness to everyone. This photo series was submitted by the author to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

The monks led the procession carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary.

The Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang is a large-scale annual event, closely associated with the long-standing tradition of worshipping the Mother Goddess in Vietnam. This traditional festival honors and commemorates Mother Ponagar – who taught the people how to cultivate rice, raise livestock, weave cloth, and brought prosperity to the Champa people.

Five ancestral tablets are held by five girls.

The procession carrying the Virgin Mary parades.

The Economic and Technical Inspection Team welcomes guests.

The architectural pillars of the Ponagar Tower.

A festive scene at the Ponagar Tower.

The traditional dance of the pilgrimage groups.

The Champa people gathered for the festival.

Spectators watch a ceremonial dance performance.

The mother and her two daughters offered prayers together at the festival.

The Champa shaman performs his duties.

The Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang is held solemnly, with rituals of a traditional folk festival including both ceremonial and celebratory parts.

The Ponagar Tower Festival is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage and is a major traditional festival of Khanh Hoa province with many exciting activities. This promises to bring you many memorable experiences during your Nha Trang trip .

In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest continued to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website.   https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world. Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam.

Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values:
– 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND
– 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND
– 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND
– 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND
– The most voted-for entry: 5,000,000 VND
The winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, which will be broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

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