Country Lady fest hit by budget cuts

This year's Ba Chua Xu (Country Lady) Festival will kick off next Monday without an opening ceremony, event organisers said.
Thai Cong No, deputy head of the Sam Mountain Monuments management board, said the cancelation of the opening ceremony at the annual festival will help An Giang Province to reduce spending as part of the Government's policy to fighting inflation.
The Ba Chua Xu Festival was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national festival in 2000 and it has been held every year with a grand opening ceremony.
The Ba Chua Xu Temple, where the festival is held, was built at the foot of the Sam Mountain in Chau Doc Town's Vinh Te Commune in 1820.
Legend has it that in the early 1800s villagers found the statue of a lady dating back to the 6th century in the forest. They built a temple in her honour, hoping that she would bring them better crops and improve their living standards.
According to the An Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the first quarter of 2011, the number of visitors to the Ba Chua Xu Temple was 50 per cent higher than the same period last year.
About 3,000 people visit the Sam Mountain a day between Monday and Friday and the figure goes up to 4,700 on Saturday and 20,000 on Sunday.