Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain before receiving UNESCO certificate

According to the reporter's records at noon on March 19, at the Ba Chua Xu Temple area of Sam Mountain (Chau Doc City, An Giang Province), staff, service providers, security guards... were on duty all the time, urgently renovating the final stages to prepare for the Ceremony to receive the UNESCO Certificate of recognition of the Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which will take place tonight.

The Management Board of the Sam Mountain Temple of Literature relic informed that during the 4 peak months of the Ba River season (January to April of the lunar calendar), the unit had to temporarily contract about 120 more people. At this time, the total number of domestic workers is over 220. The departments work shifts, ensuring 24/7 duty to best serve people attending the festival.

Also from 2:00 p.m., the number of people flocking to the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain tends to increase. People offer incense, pay taxes, offer flowers, fruits, and fruits to pray for peace, luck, and wait to see the Ceremony to receive the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Certificate.

According to the plan, the Ceremony to receive the UNESCO Certificate of Recognition of the Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival on the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the opening of the Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival in 2025 will be held with a scale of about 2,000 delegates, at the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area (Nui Sam Ward, Chau Doc City). The ceremony was staged with many special art programs combined with low-altitude fireworks activities.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy - Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee - it is the tireless efforts of many generations of leaders and people that have taken the wing to bring the local traditional festival to the status of a world heritage.

On December 4, 2024, in Paraguay, within the framework of the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Vietnam's "Ba Chua Xu Festival on Sam Mountain" was officially recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This is an affirmation and appreciation of the heritage by the international community, promoting the diversity, value and identity of Vietnamese culture in general and An Giang province in particular in the common cultural picture of humanity and is also another contribution of Vietnam to the goal of preserving and promoting the heritage values that UNESCO is promoting. The registration will also create more resources for preserving and promoting heritage values, supporting sustainable and inclusive economic and cultural development in the locality and community.

Here are some photos: