Be amazed by the biggest Fishing Festival in Binh Dinh

#Culture
In Binh Dinh, besides the festivals of the lowlands and mountainous regions, there is also the fishing festival of the people in the coastal communes. Having existed for a long time, the fishing festival is a unique and beautiful traditional cultural feature of the fishermen. It reflects their rich spiritual and cultural life and mystical beliefs on the water.
The fishing festival originates from the precarious life at sea, constantly battling storms and rough seas with rudimentary and limited resources. The people of the coastal region have to rely on the divine realm. Every year, they organize a fishing ceremony, offering sacrifices to "Ông Nam Hải" (the God of the South Sea) or whales to pray for calm seas and abundant catches of shrimp and fish. Because they are always facing unexpected disasters, the people of the coastal region often believe in supernatural forces, so the fishing festival also seeks the protection of the water gods and those who died at sea.
The fishing festival is usually held at the whale shrine during the spring. This is where the remains of whales (whales) that washed ashore are reburied. In Quy Nhon, there is a shrine dedicated to the God of the South Sea in Tran Phu ward, built for offering incense and worshipping the sea god. At De Gi estuary, My Thanh commune (Phu My district), there is also a large shrine containing nearly 100 whale skeletons, respectfully displayed in sarcophagi for worship.
The fishing festival is usually conducted in two parts: the procession (bringing the spirits), which involves escorting the souls of the "Lords" and those who died at sea to their final resting place. This is followed by the opening ceremony with many recreational activities such as singing, dancing, boat racing, and swimming competitions. These activities reflect the daily life and work of fishermen on the water.
A unique feature of the fishing festival is the traditional "ba trao" dance and singing. The "Bả Trạo" is a theatrical performance depicting the daily life and work of fishermen, such as rowing, pulling nets, or specifically portraying the procession of a fleet of boats carrying the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.
The "Bả Trạo" troupe usually consists of 8 to 16 people, sometimes 12 to 18, dressed in ancient ceremonial costumes, and led by three commanders: the bow leader, the center leader, and the helmsman. The festival begins with a rowing dance. After receiving the helmsman's command, the oarsmen jump in unison, from one row to two rows, then to four rows. They then kneel and bow three times before beginning to row. Following this action, the three commanders sing in various styles, including "tẩu mã," "nói lối," or "hát khách" and "hát nam." The "con trạo" (rowers) occasionally provide accompaniment or repeat a segment of the theatrical performance. For funeral processions, the lyrics are often prayers for the deceased, with a mystical quality, such as "Ho ho funeral procession":
"Bringing the soul back
Who brings the boat across the North Sea
Not allowing the swallows to perch in the western mountains..."
Or like:

"... Quickly prepare the Buddhist scriptures from the boat
Bring the departed soul without complaint
Through suffering to escape the cycle of misfortune"

Generally, the content of the songs in the funeral procession is very humane, expressing sympathy and compassion for those who have lost their lives at sea due to unexpected calamities.
From the rowing movements in the boat racing festival to the rowing movements in the funeral procession in the Bả Trạo dance, although the oars are still used as props, they have been stylized and modified to suit the content of the dance. If in rowing races, the movements must be strong and agile, in funeral processions, they need to be slow, respectful, and gentle.

In the opening section, because it is a theatrical performance, the boat dance depicts the entire sea voyage from setting sail to returning. Throughout this process, the rowing crew sometimes has to contend with storms, or when the sea is calm, they cast their lines and pull in their nets... These actions evoke a sense of familiarity and a deep affection for the sea and their profession. The audience follows the tense rhythm of the work with suspense:
"Oh, strange, a storm is coming, that's why the lightning is flashing!
Looking at the calm sea, a moment later the waves are rising!
Hey, captain, a storm! A storm! Hey, captain!"
From a rhythmic, urgent tone, the song transitions to a calm demeanor once the oars are in full swing, accompanied by the verses:
"The waves crash and toss,
today on the river, tomorrow on the sea, how many hardships,
so much hardship, so much toil,
straight as a nine-stringed lute, writhing in pain..."
Thus, the content of the Ba Trao folk song and dance is not merely a prayer for the deceased or a farewell to the spirits, but also a song about the profession. This characteristic is further expressed in the cost