Thousands of fishermen joined a festival i n Da Nang city’s Thanh Khe district on February 15 to pray for bumper hauls of fish and safe voyages at sea, as well as peace, happiness and prosperity throughout the year.

Cau Ngu Festival is held every year on the 16th of the first lunar month. It is the biggest festival of fishermen in the central coastal city.

Cau Ngu Festival represents the desire of the fishermen for a peaceful life, free from the difficulties and dangers that can occur when out at sea.

“Last year, we enjoyed big catches but encountered a number of storms as well. Now, we pray for safety first and foremost, while still hoping to harvest more fish than last year, said Tran Tien Thanh, captain of boat DN90340 in Da Nang City’s Thanh Khe district.

During festival days, there are many activities and traditional games which only take place in coastal areas, such as swimming and boat racing. Folk games such as net knitting competition and fish salad cooking are also held.

There are now around 1,900 fishing boats in Da Nang city.-VNA