According to the plan, on the night of March 19, in Chau Doc City, An Giang Province solemnly held a welcoming ceremony by UNESCO to recognize the Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival (Fest) in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Humanitarian Heritage). This is the first heritage of Vietnam with the subject of ethnic groups of majority and minority; the second heritage of the Southern region to be recognized as a Human Heritage, after the Southern Doctorate.
Behind this achievement is the tireless journey of many agencies and units from local to central levels.
According to Mr. Nguyen Khanh Hiep - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of An Giang province - only from the first submission of documents, after 8 consecutive years of work, the Festival was recognized as a Human Heritage.
On the afternoon of June 1, 2016, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, during a working session of Deputy Minister Dang Thi Bich Lien with the leaders of An Giang province, the Festival dossier was submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UN UNESCO) for inscription in the Human Heritage List.
In May 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism submitted a document to the Prime Minister allowing coordination with relevant ministries, branches and localities to develop a heritage dossier expected to be submitted to UNESCO, including the Festival. In June 2020, the Government Office announced the plan to prepare a dossier of typical intangible cultural heritages of Vietnam to submit to UNESCO, including the Festival.
On that basis, in January 2021, the People's Committee of An Giang province issued Plan No. 46/KH-UBND, developing a nomination dossier for the National Festival, and assigning the People's Committee of Chau Doc city to preside over the preparation of this nomination dossier.
In May 2021, the People's Committee of Chau Doc City signed a contract with the consulting unit, Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, to prepare a dossier for the Festival to submit to UNESCO for inscription on the List of Human Heritage.
From May 2021 to February 2022, the Festival dossier was implemented in accordance with legal regulations and the People's Committee of An Giang province submitted a request for appraisal from the National Cultural Heritage Council; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In March 2022, the Government agreed to submit the Festival dossier to UNESCO for consideration of being included in the List of Human Heritage.
In May 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a document requesting the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to review the Festival dossier for approval in 2024.
In July 2023, the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage sent an official dispatch to the Department of Cultural Heritage confirming that the Festival dossier was being reviewed for consideration for admission to the 2024 review cycle at the 19th meeting of the 2003 Convention Intergovernmental Committee, held in Paraguay from December 2, 2024 to December 7, 2024.
From August 2023 to May 2024, the People's Committee of An Giang province has repeatedly presided over the supplementation and completion of the Festival dossier according to the proposal of the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In June 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a document announcing the progress of the Festival dossier at the 19th session of the UNESCO 2003 Intergovernmental Committee.
After a proactive, urgent and responsible preparation process, on December 4, 2024, in the capital Asuncion, Paraguay, within the framework of the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Festival was officially recognized by UNESCO as a Human Heritage.
