The festival's opening night featured moving performances of traditional arts and dances. The coastal areas in Can Gio commune became a vibrant cultural stage blending folk art with modern technology.
A highlight was the musical act entitled “Salt” by composer Pham Hong Bien, depicting the hard life of fishermen and the sacred role of the Whale. The local ba trao (a kind of folk singing) troupe delivered a powerful folk performance, accompanied by drumbeats and chants echoing under the vast coastal sky. These performances were not just entertainment but a heartfelt expression of the fishing community's soul. The artistic program showcased creativity while deepening the love for national sea and islands and homeland, and popularizing Can Gio to wider audiences.
More than 20 vibrant events took place during the festival, from sports to culture and trade. Thousands of people participated in activities such as the “Green Marathon” along scenic coastal routes, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cycling Race with hundreds of competitors, and traditional coastal games, including tug-of-war, blindfolded clay pot breaking, and net weaving contests. Attentively, the “Moonlight Festive Night” program brought laugh to children, inspiring love for the homeland from a young age.
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Art performances at the festival |
As part of the festival, local specialties, food and OCOP (One Commune, One Product) goods were showcased together with photo exhibitions, offering visitors immersive local experiences.
The festival served as a forum to confirm the importance of the sea and islands in national defense and development. Activities in the festival helped raise public awareness of maritime sovereignty, mangrove conservation, blue economy development, and climate change adaptation.
Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung stated that the festival helps strengthen great national unity bloc, connects generations, and nurtures love for the sea, trade, and country among young people. He emphasized that preserving and promoting maritime culture is key to sustainable development of Can Gio and Ho Chi Minh City.
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A typical folk game of coastal areas played at event |
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Outstanding fishermen honored |
Despite modern life, the festival retains its sacred spirit, a spiritual homecoming for coastal people. Each ritual, each song, and each game is not only a source of joy but also a cultural lifeline passed down from the ancestors, nurturing love for the homeland, the country, and the sea in every resident.
Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, Nghinh Ong Festival in Can Gio is more than a cultural event. It symbolizes the enduring bond between people and nature, tradition and modernity, citizens and the nation.
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Folk games attractive to visitors |
The festival not only enhances quality of life, tourism, and cultural sustainability, but also strengthens unity and collective responsibility in building a resilient coastal homeland, contributing to safeguarding national sovereignty over the sea and islands, official Dung added.
Translated by Mai Huong