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Performing Tuong at the Nuoc Man Festival |
The Nuoc Man Festival was born in the central province of Binh Dinh nearly four centuries ago. It is one of the big events in the province and annually held at Ba pagoda in Phuoc Quang commune, Tuy Phuoc district.
An Hoa hamlet was a very busy area with the Nuoc Man port 400 years ago. When Chinese people moved to live there, they built Ba pagoda in which the Holy Mother (also called Lady Thien Hau) is worshipped for it is believed that she is the legendary figure saving ships in distress.
In Vietnamese culture, the custom of Mother Goddess worship is also popular. It is thus in harmony with Chinese people’s Lady Thien Hau worship belief. Many said this is the origin of the Nuoc Man Festival.
The Nuoc Man port no longer exists today, but the Ba pagoda and Nuoc Man Festival have become cultural symbols of the province. Annually, the festival takes place on the first and second days of the second lunar month, attracting scores of people.
During the festival, many lanterns are hung everywhere and each house prepares all kinds of food to welcome visitors.
This year’s festival was very bustling with thousands of visitors flocking to the event to pray for prosperity and security.
Many activities were held during the two-day event, such as the lion dances, Tuong performance, men’s and women’s volleyball competitions, and other folk games.
The Ba Pagoda was submitted to the authorities for recognizing it as a cultural relic, aimed at expanding the scale of the festival.
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