On April 29, in Cua Lo ward (Nghe An province), the Cau Ngu Festival at Lang Hieu Temple officially opened with many typical spiritual activities, imbued with the identity of coastal fishermen.
The festival is held around March 14-15 of the lunar calendar every year. This is an occasion for fishermen to express their respect to the sea gods, gods and predecessors who contributed to establishing the village, especially the belief in worshiping whales, praying for favorable weather, calm sea, calm sky, and full holds of shrimp and fish.
Lang Hieu Temple has a history of more than 350 years, formed from the Le Trung Hung period, closely associated with the spiritual life of local people. The temple grounds currently preserve nearly 85 Ong fish tombs, showing the characteristic beliefs of coastal residents.
The 2026 festival takes place from April 29 to 30 at Lang Hieu Temple and the old Nghi Hai stadium with full ceremony and festival parts. Traditional rituals such as the khai quang ceremony, yết cáo, xuất thần, cầu yên, procession of seals and royal decrees... are organized methodically, imbued with the culture of coastal fishermen.
The highlight of the festival is the Nghinh Ong ceremony held solemnly. Villagers carry seals of Sat Hai Dai Vuong (the god who rules the sea), Than Co, Than Cau... from Lang Hieu temple to boats at the estuary to perform the ceremony, gathering a large number of local people and tourists to attend.
In addition, the festival part takes place with many special activities such as women's volleyball tournament, traditional boat racing, mackerel grilling contest and fish sauce measurement contest... creating a joyful atmosphere, connecting the community.
Local authorities said that this year's festival was well prepared, ensuring security, safety, thrift, attracting a large number of people to participate, contributing to promoting the local image, while preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of fishermen.
