Cau Ngu Festival and tourist cultural week to open in Phan Thiet

      Local authorities in the central coastal city of Phan Thiet have approved a Cau Ngu (Fish Prayer) Festival and a tourist cultural week themed "Mua ve bien goi" (sea calls season back).
The two festivals will take place concurrently from May 13 to 19 in the city center primarily along the Ca Ty River and at Van Thuy Tu Temple, a national cultural site containing some 100 sets of whale bones including the largest whale bones in Vietnam.
The 2009 Cau Ngu Festival will also coincide with the festival of Van Thuy Tu Temple, a time when locals pray for "big fish" (whales, dolphins, sharks, etc.), and ask their spirits not to hinder them on fishing trips and to provide good catch and peaceful life.
The festival will feature traditional ceremonies such as an Ong Sanh (Whale) procession from Van Thuy Tu Temple on Ghenh Island, also called Lao Islet, to Phan Thiet, ending in an elaborate funeral to welcome the spirit of the fish. Outdoor activities will also take place from Con Cha wharf on the Ca Ty River to Binh Thuan Province's Ho Chi Minh Museum, with anticipated participation of 500 visitors as well as boats and ships passing by.
Meanwhile, the cultural week celebrations will give locals and tourists a chance to enjoy typical dishes of the coastal area at a culinary fair on Trung Trac Street and traditional sporting events, including a boat race and Chinese chess competition. The atmosphere will be particularly lively at night when the dance and music shows are performed.