Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been carrying out the project named "Conserving and upholding values of cultural heritages of Whale Worshipping Ceremony".
Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been carrying out the project named “Conserving and upholding values of cultural heritages of Whale Worshipping Ceremony”.
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| Ba Trao singing performed in Whale Worshipping Ceremony |
According to Le Van Hoa, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Whale Worshipping Ceremony was recognized as the national intangible cultural heritage in 2012. However, the conserving and upholding the values of this heritage have faced many difficulties; some tangible and intangible cultural heritages relating to the Whale Worshipping Ceremony have not been invested commensurately. Therefore, the project on conserving and upholding the values of cultural heritages of Whale Worshipping Ceremony is executed, under the agreement of Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee, in order to partly conserve the cultural features of the coastal areas in Khanh Hoa. Accordingly, the project is executed in the localities where “Ong Nam Hai” (the Whale) is worshipped, including Van Ninh, Ninh Hoa, Nha Trang, Cam Lam, and Cam Ranh.
The project aims to conserve the unique cultural values of the Whale Worshipping Ceremony in both tangible culture (worshipping institution, decree on conferment, repertoire, costume, etc.) and spiritual culture (legend, ritual, Ba Trao singing, folk dances, and so on). The project is hoped to contribute to propagandize and promote the meaning of the ceremony; arouse in the community a sense of pride and responsibility about the heritage; raise the awareness of the authorities, especially the cultural ones of this intangible cultural heritage. Additionally, the project also aims to introduce the historical and cultural values of the ceremony to the tourists in and outside the country as well as partly asserts the sovereignty of Vietnam over the seas and islands.
As reported by Hoa, in 2016, the cultural industry of Khanh Hoa associates with the localities to tally the worshipping institutions relating to the Whale Worshipping Ceremony; investigate, survey and evaluate the actual state of the ceremony in the whole province. Basing on the results of these activities, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will propose the appropriate solutions for the preservation and upholding of this heritage. Besides, the ceremony will be documented and digitized through filming, photographing, recording and interviewing, etc.
Reportedly, in 2017, a model Whale Worshipping Ceremony will be held basing on the opinions of the artisans and cultural researchers. A book and DVD about this ceremony will also be issued. Some other events of the project include helping the localities to build up their own Whale worshipping institution and Ba Trao singing group; create a section about Whale Worshipping Ceremony on the website of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; gradually enables the tourists to attend the Whale Worshipping Ceremony held in the localities, and so on.
X.T
Translated by H.N
