The Cau Ngu (whale worshipping) ceremony is a spiritual practice among fishermen in coastal villages in the central province of Quang Nam. Today, it has become a ritual widely practiced in other coastal villages.
Every year, fishing villages organise traditional ceremonies to pray for a bumper catch before setting out on their first trips of the year. Some tour operators have started to bring tourists to explore the traditional culture of coastal villages. The move has proved a success.
In recent years, Quang Nam province has given priority to the development of the marine economy. However, booming tourism infrastructure and urbanization among other factors have burdened time-honoured cultural values in coastal villages.
Intangible cultural identity is gradually fading in many coastal villages. It is time for local authorities in Quang Nam province form a policy on the use of resources in coastal communities to develop harmoniously with the economy while preserving cultural identity./.
