Nghinh Ong Festival
Eight-hundred participants of the annual Nghinh Ong Festival marched through the streets of Phan Thiet City yesterday amid swarms of onlookers. Palanquins (elevated seats carried by two or four people), flowers and music flooded the streets for the cultural immersion festival that has brought together the Viet and Hoa (Chinese ethnic) people living together in the town to worship Quan Cong and wish for peace, good weather and prosperous harvests throughout south central Binh Thuan Province.
"The festival expresses clearly the cultural identity of the Hoa community in Phan Thiet, living together with other ethnic groups. The high amount of community involvement in the festival is what makes it original and entertaining," said Lam Quang Hien, director of the provincial Department of Culture and Information, and the festival's organising committee chief.
"Many people look forward to when Ong's palanquin and the delegation march past their street; they believe that good things will come to them," he adds.
Nghinh Ong Festival - one of five main ethnic festivals in Binh Thuan - brings calligraphy, gastronomy, exhibitions and Chinese chess to life in an impressive China Town form.
Fifteen dance troupes bearing colourful unicorn, lion and dragon costumes performed programmes to wow visitors. Included was the town's native Thanh Long troupe which presented their popular Truong Long Lion.
Classical opera (tuong) performances by HCM City based Tran Huu Trang Theatre also delighted audiences.
The festival, held on August 11-14, aims to promote tourism activities in the region, said Nguyen Van Thu, deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee. Officials estimated the event attracted more than 40,000 visitors.
