Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival seeks UNESCO heritage title
VGP - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved the submission of Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival at Sam Mountain in the southern province of An Giang to the UNESCO for recognition as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO was tasked to coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to submit the dossier to the UNESCO before March 31, 2022.
Ba Chua Xu Festival is one of the biggest religious events in South Viet Nam, attracting nearly two million pilgrims yearly.
In the southern culture, Ba Chua Xu represents an image of a protector of the Vietnamese border and a tutelary of prosperity and health, and has many names, including Chua Xu Thanh Mau (Holly Mother of the Realm).
In addition to communal houses across villages, the Lady of the Realm is worshipped in small shrines and even in Buddhist temples, usually represented by glass paintings, and wooden or cement statues.
The Ba Chua Xu Festival in Chau Doc's Sam Mountain is held from the 23rd to the 27th day of the fourth lunar month, with the main rituals on the 25th.
