In Chau Phu (Chau Doc, An Giang province). The temple of the village Queen lies at the foot of Sam mountain (Vinh Te village)…
Festival of the Village Queen (Hoi Ba Chua Xu)
In Chau Phu (Chau Doc, An Giang province). The temple of the village Queen lies at the foot of Sam mountain (Vinh Te village). The ceremony of the Queen’s vital spirit (Via Ba), in which the ablution of her statue is carried out, takes place at midnight on the 24th day of 4th the lunar month. At the end of the rituals, the villagers try to obtain some of the ablution water, as well as bits of her statue’s clothing which are believed to bring good luck. The procession of the royal diploma awarded to the Goddess accompanied by the unicorn dance, happens on the afternoon of the 24th day. At midnight there is another ceremony, accompanied by a theatrical performance (classical theatre: hat boi). The main ceremony takes place at 4 o’clock on the morning of the 26th day of the 4th lunar month, with prayers, martial arts, and hat boi theatre. The participants, mostly women, consult their astrological charts and ask for amulets.
