The Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival on Mount Sam is held annually from the 22nd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month. (Source: dangcongsan.vn)

The recognition was announced at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paraguay on Wednesday.

The festival has been preserved and practiced for generations in Chau Doc city. 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 the acculturation process between local ethnic communities.

The festival honors Ba Chua Xu and serves as a time for local residents to pay their gratitude and respect for those who have rendered service to the nation.

With this recognition, the festival has become the 16th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO.