Cultural Events Calendar
March
Whale Festival
The Whale Festival has been, for centuries, the main water festival of the fishermen in Quang Nam, Danang province. Worshipping the whale shows respect for their God and attempts to ensure prosperity for the villagers. This festival lasts two days in the middle of the third lunar month. On this occasion, the whale temple, as well as all the houses and boats, are beautifully decorated. A peace offering is made by village elders on the first evening at the whale temple. Offerings, which do not contain seafood, are given. The ceremony is held to respect the whale god and to pray for the safety and prosperity of the village. At dawn the following day, there is a procession on the sea. This procession displays the sincerity of fishermen to their whale god. By midnight, the official ceremony is conducted as school children offer incense and the orchestra plays a classical opera. All the fishing boats and villagers, no matter where they are, will return to take part in the Whale Festival.
Elephant Race Festival
This festival is held in the spring, around the third month of the lunar calendar. It is usually held in Don village or in forests near the Sevepoi River (Dac Lak). The race track is on flat ground with only a few old trees. The width of the track is large enough for 10 elephants to stand in a line and the length of the track runs 1-2 km. With the signal of the horn (a wind instrument), the mahouts command their elephants to go to the starting line. When race begins, the elephants rush ahead, encouraged by the sound of the drums, gongs and cheering. At the end of the race, the winning elephants lift their trunks above their heads to wave to the viewers. The elephant race is the biggest festival in the central highlands.
Quan The Am Festival
(Marble Mountains)
The Quan The Am Festival was first organized in 1962, for the inauguration of the Avalokiesvara Buddhisattava statue in Hoa Nghiem cave at Thuy Son Mountain in the Marble Mountains, Danang. The same year, the festival was reorganized in Kim Son cave after the construction of the Quan The Am Pagoda on Kim Son Mountain. The Quan The Am Festival consists of two parts: the religious ceremony and the festival itself. The ceremony, similar to Buddhist rituals, consists of flower offerings and prayers. The Dharma-preaching sessions about Avalokiesvara Buddhisattava and his motivation and accomplishments are also very interesting. Several cultural activities including folk songs, chess playing, music, painting, carving, lion dancing, offering lamps on the river, and classical opera also take place. The Quan The Am Festival is organized on the 19th day of the second lunar month.
The Whale Festival has been, for centuries, the main water festival of the fishermen in Quang Nam, Danang province. Worshipping the whale shows respect for their God and attempts to ensure prosperity for the villagers. This festival lasts two days in the middle of the third lunar month. On this occasion, the whale temple, as well as all the houses and boats, are beautifully decorated. A peace offering is made by village elders on the first evening at the whale temple. Offerings, which do not contain seafood, are given. The ceremony is held to respect the whale god and to pray for the safety and prosperity of the village. At dawn the following day, there is a procession on the sea. This procession displays the sincerity of fishermen to their whale god. By midnight, the official ceremony is conducted as school children offer incense and the orchestra plays a classical opera. All the fishing boats and villagers, no matter where they are, will return to take part in the Whale Festival.
Elephant Race Festival
This festival is held in the spring, around the third month of the lunar calendar. It is usually held in Don village or in forests near the Sevepoi River (Dac Lak). The race track is on flat ground with only a few old trees. The width of the track is large enough for 10 elephants to stand in a line and the length of the track runs 1-2 km. With the signal of the horn (a wind instrument), the mahouts command their elephants to go to the starting line. When race begins, the elephants rush ahead, encouraged by the sound of the drums, gongs and cheering. At the end of the race, the winning elephants lift their trunks above their heads to wave to the viewers. The elephant race is the biggest festival in the central highlands.
Quan The Am Festival
(Marble Mountains)
The Quan The Am Festival was first organized in 1962, for the inauguration of the Avalokiesvara Buddhisattava statue in Hoa Nghiem cave at Thuy Son Mountain in the Marble Mountains, Danang. The same year, the festival was reorganized in Kim Son cave after the construction of the Quan The Am Pagoda on Kim Son Mountain. The Quan The Am Festival consists of two parts: the religious ceremony and the festival itself. The ceremony, similar to Buddhist rituals, consists of flower offerings and prayers. The Dharma-preaching sessions about Avalokiesvara Buddhisattava and his motivation and accomplishments are also very interesting. Several cultural activities including folk songs, chess playing, music, painting, carving, lion dancing, offering lamps on the river, and classical opera also take place. The Quan The Am Festival is organized on the 19th day of the second lunar month.
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