The annual Ponagar Temple Festival will take place in Khanh Hoa Province from May 5 to 8, in commemoration of Goddess Ponagar or Thien Y A Na – Holy Mother of the Cham community in the central region.
Goddess Ponagar Temple was believed to have taught the local people how to earn a living from such trades as rice cultivation and fabric weaving.
Coming to the Ponagar Temple, visitors will have be able to discover the beauty of the Cham architecture complex and the Cham cultural heritage at the Ponagar Tower.
Performances of folklore art forms such as Tuong (classical drama), traditional Cham dances and Chau Van (spiritual singing) will also be staged at the festival to honour the spiritual cultural value in the daily lives of Cham people in the South Central region.
Ponagar Tower is located on Cu Lao hill next to the Cai River in Vinh Phuoc Ward, Nha Trang City which was built and designed in the unique architecture of the Cham people over 1,200 years ago.
The tower was recognised as a national historical relic site in 1979 and the Ponagar Festival was recognised as a national intangible heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2012.