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Fishermen pray for a good fishing harvest during the Cau Ngu festival |
Lo Dieu hamlet located in Hoai Nhon district is always bustling with the Cau Ngu (praying for a good fishing harvest) festival taking place in the fourth lunar month.
The event is held in Lo Dieu every three years, with the participation of 80 percent of the village’s population. The festival is very important as most of the villagers earn their living by fishing, according to the hamlet’s chief Vo Xuan Mao.
This year’s festival was held on the beach because of rough sea. Do Van Lo, a member of the organizing board of the festival hoped that the event will bring safety and good harvest to fishermen.
After starting the ritual on the beach, the participants went to Ong (whale) temple. On the way to the temple, the host sometimes asked the participants to bow low to pay respect to Gods. There were also two lines of young people holding flags and paddles dancing and shouting. The elderly said this shows their happiness to welcome Gods.
A crowd of local people followed them, beating the drums. All created a unique event at a village where there are only old people, women, and children all year round.
Together with the Cau Ngu festival, the fishermen also held a grave-visiting ceremony, praying for the salvation of souls. During the following days, the artists performed many extracts of Tuong (Vietnamese classical drama) plays on a small stage built on the beach, attracting scores of villagers.
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