Diversity of Cultural Identity

Preliminary statistics say that Can Tho has about 70 traditional festivals, about 20 of which are annually celebrated such as Ky Yen Festival at local communal houses and famous people’s death anniversaries. Besides, others are festivals of ethnic groups living in here like Quan Thanh De Quan Sacred Festival, Ba Thien Hau Sacred Festival (Chinese ethnic people), Ok-Om-Bok Festival, Sene Dolta Festival (Khmer ethnic people). More traditional festivals are celebrated in these districts: O Mon (18 festivals), Ninh Kieu, Co Do (11 festivals), Phong Dien (8 festivals).

The Ky Yen Festival at Binh Thuy Communal House (Binh Thuy District) becomes larger and larger, which attracts some tens of thousands of people. Every year, on lunar April 12^th to 14^th, locals are delighted to start the festival. Moreover, this festival has been lately recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This is the first festival in Can Tho to be honored. Activities in the festival remind visitors of the solemn ceremonies: Cung nghinh Sac Than du ngoan (escorting Sac Than’s tour), Tuc yet (when people stay in the temple a night before the ceremony), Chanh Te (the worshipping ceremony of all Gods), Than Nong (the worshiping ceremony of God of Agriculture), etc. In the evening, people gather in the front yard to enjoy Vietnamese opera shows. Ancient folk stories are retold in these performances helping locals, especially young people understand more about the traditional culture.

At the beginning of every lunar new year (from lunar January 12^th to 14^th), at Mieu Ba Xom Chai (Temple of the Goddess in Xom Chai Village, Cai Rang District), people enjoy Tong Phong Festival. This festival is also called Cau an (praying for safety or peace) or Tong on – Tong gio (dispelling bad omens). One of the important ceremonies is the raft release (small paper boat models full of offerings). These rafts flow toward the big river. It has become a unique festival on the river when nearly 100 boats on Hau River release the paper rafts on the river, symbolically bringing diseases and misfortune far away from their daily life. It also implies that all good things will be with them in the New Year. The locals enjoy the festival in the proper manner and comply with the organizers’ guidance.

In addition to such festivals, Can Tho City has confirmed its cultural identity thanks to several death anniversaries of famous people such as valedictorian Bui Huu Nghia, poet Phan Van Tri, physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Mr. Le Huu Trac, etc. After Tet holiday, the locals joyfully celebrate the death anniversary of valedictorian Bui Huu Nghia on lunar January 19^th and 20^th.  On this occasion, people express their commemoration to this patriotic scholar in a very solemn and dignified way. Then, they are attracted to various enjoyable entertaining activities. Mr. Le Van Hoang, from the Department of worshiping committee at valedictorian Bui Huu Nghia’s commemoration site, says, “His death anniversary is held in a large scale and a profoundly traditional manner. Local people are therefore all overjoyed”.

Well-organized Festivals

Over the past years, Can Tho Communist Party committees, authorities and functional agencies have had much attention to how to organize and manage the festivals in an effective way. In fact, Can Tho Municipal Party Committee have issued Directive No. 23-CT/TU of on strengthening the management, conservation and promotion of historical - cultural relics in Can Tho; Plan No. 117/KH-UBND of Can Tho People's Committee on preservation and promotion of historical - cultural relics, intangible cultural heritages, trade villages and landscapes in harmony with the city tourism development by 2020.

Ky yen Festival in Tan An Communal House (Ninh Kieu District) is solemnly well organized with traditional procedures.

Particularly, Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism have made a lot of positive changes by active inspection and good festival management of the festivals. These festivals take place in accordance with the laws, and they are consistent with fine customs and cultural traditions. The festival organization committee are always in close coordination with the authorities, fronts, unions, etc. The management and the use of donated money as well as charity funds and sponsorship collected in festivals are publicly and transparently used for the right purposes.

According to Can Tho Inspection Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, they have conducted 16 tours of inspection in some relics where festivals are organized in 2018. The inspection focuses on the visual propaganda associated with the festivals, the implementation of festival regulations, fire prevention as well as assurances of security and environmental sanitation at the relics. It is also involved in inspecting different cultural, sports and tourism activities taking place during the festivals; the management and the use of donated money, charity funds, sponsorship, etc. The unit thereby does not detect any violations.

Besides, the festival management and organization also receive a lot of attention of the urban and suburban districts. In addition to propagating to the local, the management board and people in charge should be aware of the traditional rituals, traditional art forms, folk games, and combine with new activities to attract tourists. Mr. Bui Huu Sang, Head of Cai Rang Culture and Information Department, shares, “From the beginning of the year, the unit has proactively planned to organize events, festivals in synchronous coordination with agencies, departments, management boards, temple management boards; therefore, the unit can be active, and promptly resolve arising problems.”

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Deputy Head of Ninh Kieu Culture and Information Department, comments, “The locality coordinates with the educational sector and the union to promote propaganda about traditions and cultural heritages in school; to organize tours for young people to visit and study in relics as well as participate in some traditional festivals such as Ky Yen at Thoi Binh and Tan An Communal Houses, etc. From these events, various stories about Vietnamese cultural heritages are continuously recounted among students at school. The students act as “connected arms" in introducing and promoting the heritages and festivals in the community.

Traditional festivals in Can Tho City have been in order and well-organized for years, leaving locals and tourists with great impressions. It is necessary for Can Tho City festivals to have a "trademark" so as to become a distinctive tourism product. This is also the key point to appeal more visitors near and far to enjoy the festivals in here every year.