From February 5 to 7 (January 8-10), thousands of people from all over flocked to Cai Cung beach (Hoa Binh district, Bac Lieu province), where Ong Duyen Hai Temple is located, to attend the Ong welcoming ceremony.
Most of the people who come here to worship the Whale (also known as the whale) usually work at sea or produce and trade in seafood.
Crowds of people flocked to Lang Ong Duyen Hai in Bac Lieu to attend the Ong welcoming ceremony at the beginning of the new year (Photo: TC).
According to local people, the most important ceremony of the Ong festival is to go to the seaport to perform the ritual of welcoming (nghinh) Ong to the mausoleum for worship, with the presiding authority of prestigious local elders.
Several large boats (usually fishing boats of local fishermen) decorated with flags, flowers, drums, gongs and offerings such as meat, sticky rice, etc. sail from the shore to the estuary to welcome Ong in a bustling atmosphere.
Those who could not get on the boat stood along both sides of the river to watch the boat carrying Ong, adding to the bustling and jubilant ceremony.
The train departs for the Whale welcoming estuary (Photo: TC).
According to the ceremony's ritual, the procession took some sea water symbolizing the sea where he lived and brought it to the mausoleum to worship, expressing respect to the fish that is said to protect fishermen from strong winds and waves when going out to sea to catch seafood.
Local and foreign fishermen also come here to burn incense, worship, and pray for a new year of bountiful fishing.
The Whale welcoming ceremony took place very solemnly (Photo: CK).
"After the Lunar New Year, we fishermen all gather here to celebrate the Whale Festival. We work at sea so this is a tradition, with the hope that everything will be good for our work in the new year," said a fisherman in Hoa Binh district.
Ong Duyen Hai Temple (Vinh Thinh commune, Hoa Binh district, Bac Lieu province) is preserving a 16m long whale skeleton, which has been worshiped by local fishermen for many years.
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