Bustling Am Chua Festival of Khanh Hoa people

Every year on the 1st of the 3rd lunar month, people from Khanh Hoa and neighboring provinces flock to the Am Chua national relic site in Dien Dien commune, Dien Khanh district to attend the Am Chua festival, a traditional local festival.

This year’s Am Chua Festival takes place from March 29 to 31 (ie from the 1st to the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month). The organizing committee has received registrations from more than 100 pilgrimage groups with about 3,400 people practicing Mother Goddess worship rituals.

At the same time, it is expected that over 12,000 people and tourists from inside and outside the province will attend the festival.

The Am Chua Festival features many traditional rituals such as ball dancing, singing, sacrifices, etc., bearing the strong cultural identity of the "Agarwood Land".

After the opening ceremony, people took turns offering incense to Thien Y Ana Holy Mother and praying for good things for themselves, their homeland and their country.

Inside the temple of Thien Y Ana Holy Mother

At the festival, people offer Mother Goddess simple items such as fruits, areca nuts and betel leaves... "We offer whatever we have, but betel nuts and areca nuts are indispensable in the offering tray," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, from Ninh Hoa Town, Khanh Hoa Province.

Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, from Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province, said that no matter how busy she and her husband were, they would make time to attend the festival. "We respectfully offer Mother Goddess the items we made ourselves, praying for everyone's safety," Ms. Huong shared.

According to legend, Dai An Mountain is where the Holy Mother Thien Y Ana descended to earth. To commemorate the merit of the Mother of the land who enlightened and taught the people how to make a living, the people built Am Chua Temple located halfway up the mountain.

After the hermitage was heavily damaged during the war, the local government restored the Am Chua festival in 1987. In 1999, Am Chua was ranked as a national monument. Currently, this place still preserves many royal decrees of the Nguyen Dynasty.

HIEU GIANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ron-rang-le-hoi-am-chua-cua-nguoi-dan-khanh-hoa-post788249.html