(VOVworld)- With a 3,200 km coast, Vietnam has always been closely associated with the sea. Fishermen setting out on a voyage always pray to God to look after them and bring them luck.
Coastal regions in Vietnam have a tradition of worshipping the Whale considered the Genie of the East Sea. Legends tell that when the Buddha was crossing the sea, he saw people struggling in a storm. He threw his robe into the sea and it turned into a group of Whales, which rescued the people from the storm. Since then, the Whale has been worshipped as a Guardian of fishermen. Coastal people believe good luck is brought by any whale that drift into to their region. If a whale is found stranded, it is carefully buried and a funeral for him is held. A temple was set up to worship the Whale. Over time, these beliefs have become a Whale worshiping festival popular throughout Vietnam’s coastal regions. Doctor Tran Ngoc Them, a culture researcher says: “Whale worship is very popular in Vietnam’s coastal region, especially from Thanh Hoa province to the south. People in the north, in Quang Ninh province for example, also worship the Whale but they have only built small temples, not big graves like in the south. Whale worship is only practiced in coastal regions”.
The Whale worshiping festival is different in different regions, but it usually takes place in the late autumn or early spring, when the fishing season ends or begins. The festival includes a ritual ceremony followed by various activities and lasts for 2 to 3 days. The ritual ceremony is held in a Whale temple. The highlight of the ceremony is a Whale procession on a boat. These festivals reflect people’s gratitude to the Genie of the Sea and their prayers for good luck. Culture researcher Doctor Huynh Quoc Thang says: “Through the festival, people show their gratitude to the sea and pray to the Genie of the Sea for safe voyages and a bumper fish harvest. This is also an occasion to honour those who have died at sea”.
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One of the major activities of the Whale worshiping festival is Ba Trao singing. This type of singing is often accompanied by dances, which represent voyage-related activities like embarking, battling storms and casting nets to catch fish. The festival also features sports and folk games such as boat races, lion dances, and a tug of war.
In addition to worshiping the Whale, people in the coastal regions, especially in Thanh Hoa province also worship the “One legged Genie”. Phan The Thao is a caretaker of Doc Cuoc or One legged Genie Temple in Thanh Hoa province, which was built in the 15th century. Thao says: “The one legged genie is a genie who split his body into two halves. One half stayed in the sea to protect fishermen and the other half stayed on the land to defend the nation. Doc Cuoc temple is a place where people come to pray for safe voyages and peace and prosperity for the nation”.
To Tuan
Doc Cuoc temple in Thanh Hoa
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