'Ba Chua Xu Mountain Sam Festival' recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage

According to a VNA correspondent in France, citing information from the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at 9:48 a.m. (local time, or 7:48 p.m. Vietnam time) on December 4, in the capital city of Asuncion, Paraguay, within the framework of the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Festival of Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain of Vietnam was officially recognized as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Photo caption — The Vietnamese delegation attended the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asuncion, Paraguay. Photo: VNA

The Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain is a traditional festival that has been preserved and practiced for many generations in Chau Doc, An Giang, taking place from the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month in the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain and the stone pedestal area worshiping her on Sam Mountain. The festival is imbued with the culture of the Southern region, demonstrating the identity and continuity of the Vietnamese community in the process of cultural exchange with the Khmer, Chinese, and Cham communities. The festival honoring Ba Chua Xu is also an occasion for people to express their love, gratitude, and respect for those who have contributed to the people and the country. In 2014, the festival was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, said that the recognition of the Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain by UNESCO is a testament to the diverse, long-standing culture imbued with Vietnamese identity. At the same time, this recognition is of great significance, contributing positively to the work of preserving and promoting heritage values at both the national and international levels. As Vice Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention, Vietnam is committed to always making efforts to preserve and promote the values of this heritage as well as other cultural heritages to pass on to future generations.

On behalf of the locality owning the heritage, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee Le Hong Quang expressed his emotion and honor when the Festival of Ba Chua Xu in Sam Mountain was recognized by UNESCO; sent thanks to UNESCO, the Secretariat of the Convention, the appraisal agencies and the members of the committee for their valuable support and assistance; affirmed that he would spread this joy and pride to the community of An Giang province and committed to working with the community to best protect and promote the value of this cultural heritage, ensuring the connection with sustainable development goals. With this recognition, the Festival of Ba Chua Xu in Sam Mountain becomes the 16th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO, the 2nd intangible cultural heritage of the Southern region (along with the art of Southern amateur music) and the first traditional festival of the Southern land to receive this honor. This affirms the international appreciation of heritage, highlights the diversity, value and identity of Vietnamese culture in the general cultural picture of humanity and is also another contribution of Vietnam to the goal of preserving and promoting heritage values that UNESCO is promoting. The listing will also create more resources for preserving and promoting heritage values, supporting sustainable and inclusive economic and cultural development at the local level and in the community.

The dossier of the Festival of Lady Chua Xu in Sam Mountain meets all 5 criteria and is one of the dossiers highly appreciated for its quality. This is the result of the efforts and close coordination over the past time of the community, the government of An Giang province with the professional advice of heritage experts, the active and effective direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the coordinating role of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO in proposing, selecting ideas, completing and mobilizing the dossier. The 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO is scheduled to continue until December 7 in the capital city of Asunción, Paraguay. The meeting will gather the participation of nearly 1,000 delegates from 120 member countries of the Convention to discuss key issues related to intangible cultural heritage. This session is expected to register 63 new intangible cultural heritages from around the world.