Vietnam’s Mekong Delta festival recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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Thousands flock to the Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival in Chau Doc City, An Giang Province. Photo courtesy of Check in Chau DocThe Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival, one of the biggest and busiest in the Mekong Delta, was officially recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Wednesday.

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 Vietnam’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.

In 2014, it was recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Speaking at the recognition ceremony, held at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paraguay, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, noted that the UNESCO recognition highlights Vietnam’s diverse and long-standing culture.

Ông cho biết sự ghi nhận này đóng góp đáng kể vào những nỗ lực bảo tồn và phát huy di sản văn hóa ở cả cấp độ quốc gia và quốc tế, đồng thời nhấn mạnh với tư cách là Phó Chủ tịch Đại hội đồng các quốc gia thành viên Công ước bảo vệ di sản văn hóa phi vật thể năm 2003, Việt Nam cam kết bảo tồn và phát huy di sản này cũng như các di sản khác cho các thế hệ tương lai.

Le Hong Quang, Secretary of the An Giang provincial Party Committee, pledged to work with local people to protect and enhance the cultural values of this heritage, ensuring its alignment with sustainable development goals.

With this recognition, the festival has become the 16th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO. It is the second intangible cultural heritage in the southern region, following the Don Ca Tai Tu (southern amateur traditional music), and the first traditional festival in the south to receive this honor.

The 19th session of the Inter-Governmental Committee for the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO is scheduled to last until Dec. 7 in Asunción, Paraguay. It gathers nearly 1,000 delegates from 120 member countries to discuss key issues related to intangible cultural heritage. It plans to add 63 new entries to the global list of intangible cultural heritages.