This is a pride

The Goddess Veneration Festival at Sam Mountain is one of the largest and most important festivals of the people in the South, especially in An Giang. The festival not only carries deep cultural and religious values, but also demonstrates the intermingling of cultures in the region. In 2001, the festival was recognized as a national festival by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). In 2014, the festival was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In 2023, the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival was honored as "Asia-Pacific Outstanding Cultural Activity".

On December 4, 2024, at the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in the Republic of Paraguay, the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival of Vietnam was officially recognized by UNESCO in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritages, Representative of Humanity. This is one of 66 proposals considered at this session and is the 16th Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO. Thus, in the Southern region, in addition to Don Ca Tai Tu, a heritage included by UNESCO in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Representative of Humanity (in 2013), the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival is the second heritage and the first traditional festival of the Southern region to receive this honor.

The fact that the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival, An Giang province, was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is a strong testament to the complete, authentic and outstanding value of this unique heritage at an international level. This is not only a great honor for the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang province, but also a common pride of the entire Vietnamese nation. This event is of special significance in promoting and introducing the typical and unique cultural values of the land and people of An Giang to domestic and international friends. The recognition of the heritage further contributes to affirming the diversity, richness of Vietnamese culture in the process of development and integration with the world.

Unique festival

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Hoan, the head of the Sam Mountain temple's Management Board, shared that according to legend, over 200 years ago, Sam Mountain was still wild and uninhabited. Villagers climbing the mountain discovered an ancient statue seated on a sandstone pedestal. During that time, the Siamese army frequently disturbed the country, and on one occasion, they climbed to the summit of Sam Mountain and encountered the ancient statue. Despite numerous efforts to carry the statue down the mountain, they could not move it and had to abandon it. The villagers, seeing this, decided to "invite" the statue down the mountain for preservation and worship. However, no matter how many strong men were enlisted, they could not lift the statue. Then, the village elders prayed, and suddenly, a young girl playing nearby sat down, her face flushed, her head swaying, and she said, "Choose nine virgins to carry her down the mountain." Strangely enough, the nine girls carried the statue with ease. But upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the statue became incredibly heavy and immovable. The villagers understood that the Lady wished to remain there, so they built a shrine to honor her. Initially, the shrine was a simple structure made of bamboo and leaves, but after numerous renovations, it became the beautiful and dignified temple seen today.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Permanent Vice Chairman of Chau Doc City People's Committee, the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival is a traditional festival that has been preserved and practiced for many generations in Chau Doc. The festival is imbued with the cultural identity of the people of the Southwest region and the spiritual and cultural activities of local residents, with a high sense of community. At the same time, it demonstrates the identity and continuity of the Vietnamese community in the process of cultural exchange with the Khmer, Chinese, and Cham ethnic communities... 

Every year, the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival is held, including the ceremony and the festival. In recent years, the ceremony has been performed according to traditional rituals, but the content and form have been invested in and improved to create conditions for tourists and locals to participate, such as: The program includes making the Goddess’s robe; the ceremonial reenactment of carrying the statue of the Lady from her stone pedestal on the summit of Sam Mountain to the shrine’s stage; the preparation of water for bathing the Goddess; the bathing ceremony of the Goddess; the ceremony of bringing the imperial decree of Thoai Ngoc Hau from his mausoleum to the Goddess’s shrine; the Tuc Yet ceremony and Xay Chau ceremony; the main worship ceremony; and the ceremony of returning the imperial decree—where the decree of Thoai Ngoc Hau is brought back from the shrine to his mausoleum.   

The festive section features the opening ceremony, typically held the night before the Goddess’s bathing ritual. This vibrant program includes various performances, such as theatrical reenactments. Additionally, the People’s Committee of Chau Doc City organizes exciting entertainment and recreational activities to serve visitors.

Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee Le Hong Quang said that the "practical" activities and festivals have "transmitted" to today's generation a better understanding of customs, ethics, and social interactions from stories of the process of reclaiming, opening up, and protecting the southern land of the Fatherland, the worldview and outlook on life of our ancestors... Thereby, contributing to educating the younger generation about patriotism, love for the homeland, and respect for the values of their origin.

“We are proud and excited that the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Besides the great honor, this also places a heavy responsibility on the Party Committee, government and people of Chau Doc city in preserving and promoting the value of the heritage. We pledge to join hands, make every effort to practice , preserve and promote the value of the festival heritage. We believe that, with the joint efforts of the whole community, the Sam Mountain Goddess Veneration Festival will forever be the pride of the people of Chau Doc in particular, An Giang and the whole country in general, continuing to be an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists” - Chau Doc City Party Secretary Lam Quang Thi expressed./. 

News by Thu Thao

Translation by Hoang Oanh