At noon on June 10 (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month), thousands of Binh Dinh people from all over gathered in Quy Nhon City to swim in the sea and pray for good luck for their families. Quy Nhon beach, curved like a "crescent moon", stretches 5 km from Tan cape to Ghenh Rang area, and is crowded, unlike normal noons.
Quy Nhon beach parking lot is currently overloaded as a large number of people from neighboring areas flock to Quy Nhon City to swim in the sea. Despite having to travel dozens of kilometers, many families still bring their children to swim in the sea even in the hot midday sun.
Thousands of people go to Quy Nhon beach to swim in "Tet Doan Ngo"
Binh Dinh people flock to the beach at noon on Doan Ngo Festival
"Forest of people" flock to the beach to bathe in bad luck
In addition to swimming in the sea for luck, people also take the opportunity to have fun on the beach. Many families also bring cans and bottles of seawater to bathe the elderly, children, and sick people who cannot go to the beach with the hope of praying for peace and victory over illness. According to traditional beliefs, people who cannot go to the beach will look into the basin of seawater and look up to the sky to pray for peace.
Not only Binh Dinh people, tourists from neighboring provinces such as Dak Lak, Gia Lai... or guests from further away who happen to come to Binh Dinh on this occasion also join in the atmosphere of celebrating Tet Doan Ngo with the locals.
People in Binh Dinh said that for a long time, they considered 12 noon on Doan Ngo festival as a sacred and auspicious time. After preparing the offerings to their ancestors, husbands, wives and children go to the beach to swim to ward off bad luck and pray for good things.
According to Oriental Medicine philosophy, the fire (yang) of heaven, earth and the human body reaches its peak on Duanwu Day. Duanwu Festival or Duanyang Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month) every year is a traditional festival that has long existed in Oriental folk culture. Duan means beginning, Ngo is the period from 11am to 1pm.
