11:08, 20/08/2008

Am Chua, cultural beauty of land of aloe wood

Am Chua Temple is a long-time cultural and historical monument of Khanh Hoa...

Pilgrims attend Am Chua Festival. 

Am Chua Temple is a long-time cultural and historical monument of Khanh Hoa, the land of aloe wood. It features the exchange of Viet and Cham cultures.

Am Chua Temple is situated on Dai An Mount in Dien Dien Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa Province. It was built long ago to dedicate to Lady Goddess Po Nagar. Every year, on the first days of the third lunar month, the Am Chua Festival is organized at the temple in commemoration of Lady Goddess Thien Yana who is honored as Lady Goddess. According to the legend, this was place where the Goddess descended on earth and lived together with an old firewood couple in her childhood.

The Festival consists of two parts: the rituals and the procession. After the traditional solemn rituals, there is an Offering flower Dance, Van Ba song, and other dances connecting to the legend of Thien Yana performed here. Am Chua Festival preserves many cultural values featuring the cultural characters of the land of aloe wood.

With many cultural and historic characteristics, Am Chua was listed as a historical and cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture & Information in 1999. The Service of Culture & Information has formed a project on restoration of Am Chua Temple with an expected expenditure of more than 10 billion VND. Hopefully, Am Chua will further add to the allure of Khanh Hoa, the land of aloe wood.

N.T