The annual Cầu Ngư Festival, held in Trung Lương hamlet in Cát Tiến commune, is dedicated to the worship of whales, revered by coastal communities as Cá Ông, or the God of the Southern Sea.
Festival activities will include a procession to welcome the water deity, the Nam Hải God worship ceremony, traditional bả trạo performances to escort the deity into the temple, ceremonial singing and enthronement rituals.
One of the main highlights of this year’s event will be hát bội, or classical Vietnamese opera, staged during the evenings from the 12th to the 15th days of the fourth lunar month.
Organizers have also expanded the festival’s cultural and recreational activities, including blindfolded duck catching, tug of war, football and sack races, helping create a vibrant atmosphere for local residents and visitors.
At the same time, coastal communities in Vĩnh Lợi village in An Lương commune and Đề Gi commune are also hosting larger-scale Cầu Ngư festivals compared with previous years, drawing large crowds of fishermen and tourists.
Since the beginning of the year, coastal localities across Gia Lai province have increased efforts to enrich the festival with additional cultural performances, folk arts and sporting events aimed at promoting maritime traditions and introducing whale worship customs to visitors.
The expanded celebrations form part of activities marking the National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026.
