Da Nang Cau Ngu Whale Worship Festival: A National Heritage of the Fishing Villages, with Dates and Tips for Watching

What the Cau Ngu Festival Is and Why It Is Heritage

The Cau Ngu Festival is a major religious celebration of the coastal communities of central Vietnam, tied to the custom of worshipping Ca Ong, the whale. Fishermen call the whale Ca Ong (Sir Fish) and honour it as a benevolent spirit and representative of the Nam Hai (South Sea) deity, believed to help boats ride out heavy seas. Every year, as the new fishing season begins, the fishing village gives thanks to the spirits, remembers the ancestors who opened up the sea trade and prays for calm weather and full nets.

On 10 March 2016, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 829/QD-BVHTTDL adding the Cau Ngu Festival of Da Nang to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Cultural documents also stress that the festival is historical evidence of how central Vietnam’s fishermen made a life from the sea.

The Ritual: Welcoming the Deity and the Main Sacrifice

The deity-welcoming ceremony

• This is the procession that carries the spirit tablet of the Nam Hai deity from the sea or from the shrine to the beach, with banners, traditional ceremonial music and a large number of fishermen taking part.
• In some villages a fleet of decorated boats may go out to sea to escort the deity. How elaborate the ceremony is varies from year to year and depends on the weather.

The main sacrifice (cau ngu)

• A team of village elders reads the prayer, offers incense, tea and gifts to the Nam Hai deity and prays for peace, favourable weather and a good catch.
• Many villages also hold rites for wandering souls and for the village founders on the days around it.

Festival Activities and Ba Trao Performance

Ba Trao is the signature performance of the Cau Ngu rite: the performers sing and dance together, imitating the rhythm of rowing a boat across waves, which expresses the unity and determination of seafarers. If you want to see it, ask the organisers for the exact performance time, because each locality arranges its programme differently.

The festival part in different places may include boat races, basket-boat paddling, net weaving, tug of war, bai choi singing, tuong (classical opera) performances and seafood food stalls. If you are curious about this form of folk singing, you can read about bai choi in Hoi An and compare it with the calling and singing at a fishing village festival.

Dates and Venues (2026 Example)

The Cau Ngu Festival in Da Nang does not take place on one common day. According to local press, each coastal area holds it on its own schedule between the first and third lunar months. The table below is only an example for 2026. Dates for other years change with the lunar calendar and each locality’s plans, so check each year before you plan.

A few points to keep in mind. Da Nang’s administrative units have been reorganised in recent years, so this guide uses the familiar area names (Thanh Khe, Son Tra), and exact venues may change. Besides the two areas above, other whale shrines and temples along the coast may hold their own rites on different dates, so do not assume one area’s dates apply to another.

Tips for Watching the Festival

• Confirm the date, time and venue a few days beforehand. Detailed programmes are usually published by the Da Nang newspaper and the city’s tourism information pages.
• At the 2026 Thanh Khe festival the main rituals took place in the morning, so if you want to see the ceremony, arrive early to find a clear place to stand.
• Dress neatly when you enter a shrine, do not stand in front of the altar to take photos and do not carry food into the ceremony area.
• Rough seas or heavy rain can change or postpone some activities on the water, so prepare a backup plan.
• Some roads around the venue may be crowded or diverted. Ask your driver or a local where to park conveniently.

Food and Getting Around

After the festival, many people stop at seaside seafood restaurants or try a fishing-village speciality such as Nam O fish salad (goi ca). Seafood prices vary by day and season, so ask the price and the weight before you order.

Ha Khe Seaside Park and the coastal fishing villages are all within Da Nang and a short ride from the airport or the city centre when the roads are clear. If you have luggage or you are travelling with older relatives or small children, you can book a private car from Da Nang to Hoi An so you can catch the morning ceremony and then carry on to the old town. Rough prices for each vehicle type are in the FAQ section, or see our Da Nang and Hoi An car rates.