An Giang's festival receives UNESCO certificate as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
VGP - A ceremony was held on March 19 to receive UNESCO certificate recognizing the Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival at Sam mountain in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A ceremony to receive a UNESCO certificate recognizing the Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival at Sam mountain in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Chau Doc, An Giang Province, March 19, 2025 - Photo: VGP
The event saw the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam Jonathan Baker.
It is Viet Nam's 16th intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO and the second heritage in the Southern region (after the Art of Don Ca Tai Tu music and song) and, notably, the first traditional festival in the Mekong Delta receiving this honor.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed hopes that international organizations, especially the UNESCO Viet Nam, will continue to accompany and support the country in preserving, promoting, and spreading traditional cultural values, integrating them into the global cultural heritage.
Culture is the spiritual foundation of society and the soul of the nation, he said, emphasizing the need to focus on protecting the cultural space of the heritage by ensuring a harmonious balance between preservation and development, while maintaining the sacred landscape of Sam mountain.
Mai also asked for preserving traditional rituals, raising community awareness about the value of heritage, investing in sustainable development of cultural tourism, and enhancing the promotion of heritage image with a view to further spreading influence, and inspiring cultural values of the festival.
The festival has been preserved and practiced for generations in Chau Doc of An Giang province. It is held from the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month, at the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Mount Sam and the stone pedestal on the mountain to worship the Holy Mother.
It reflects the culture of Viet Nam's southerners as well as cultural exchange and blending with the Khmer, Chinese, and Cham communities. The festival honors Ba Chua Xu and serves as a time for local residents to express their gratitude and respect for those who have rendered service to the nation./.
