THE WHALE FESTIVAL, LE HOI CA ONG

About The Whale Festival

The Whale Festival (or Le Hoi Ca Ong in Vietnamese) is not typical of the whole country. In reality, this festival is available in only one locality. However, it is typical of the many different festivals in villages in Vietnam. The different groups often have their own festivals.

Vam Lang, a village south of Saigon, is the scene of the interesting Whale Festival. A three-day festival, the highlight is at midnight on the first day.

The Whale Festival Activities

A motorboat, illuminated with pretty coloured lamps carries an altar that symbolizes the whale, and full of musicians playing traditional Vietnamese music heads out to sea. After a short time, the boat returns to the village and carries the altar to the temple with cymbals and tom-toms playing wildly. The symbolic altar is on another altar “of the whale” in the incense-filled temple. Beside the altar, there are several small coffins that hold the remains of dead whales that fishermen brought from the sea. In reality, the whale is the benefactor of all fishermen remains in spirit, with all of those present at the celebration.

Other Popular (Typical) Festivals, Holidays & Recreation In Vietnam

– Vietnamese Tet Nguyen Dan
– Hai Ba Trung Day
– Thanh Minh, Holiday Of The Dead
– Doan Ngu (Opening Ceremony Of Summer)
– Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls’ Day)
– Trung Thu, Mid-Autumn Festival
– Recreation Activities