Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province on May 9 to attend the opening ceremony of 2015 Goddess Ponagar Festival.
The annual festival runs from May 8-11 to commemorate the Goddess Thien Y A Na, the Holy Mother of the Cham community in the central region.
Earlier on the night of May 8, more than 12,000 lanterns were released on Cai River along with a chant to pray for peace, happiness and prosperity of the people and the nation.
The festival will include other rituals and activities such as incense offerings, song and dance, pottery making, and weaving performances among others to honour the spiritual values of the Cham community.
More than 120 delegations from Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities offered incense at the Ponagar tower. The four-day festival is expected to attract more than 100,000 people.
The Ponagar tower was recognised as the national historical cultural relic site in 1979 and the Goddess Ponagar Festival was recognised as the national intangible cultural heritage in 2012.