Awakening the value of marine culture in developing tourism in Nghe An
Possessing a long coastline and famous beaches, Nghe An also possesses a rich and unique treasure of marine culture. However, this valuable resource has not been effectively exploited, causing local tourism to lack depth and sustainability.
The "treasure" has not been awakened
Located in Nghi Thuy ward (Vinh city),Mai Bang Templeis one of the typical relics representing the cultural beliefs of the residents of Cua Lo coastal area. This is a place to commemorate the ancestors who have contributed to the land reclamation and expansion of the territory. Every year, the temple organizes two big festivals in the second and fifth lunar months with palanquin processions, worshiping gods, praying for fish and many bustling folk games, attracting a large number of local people and tourists.
Not far from there is Yen Luong Temple - a relic from the Later Le Dynasty - where the festival is held.Phuc Luc Ngoat Festivalin the sixth lunar month with 6 solemn ceremonies. This is one of the most unique traditional festivals in the coastal region of Nghe An. The fact that this festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage at the end of 2023 further affirms the value of marine culture in the spiritual life of the people.
However, despite their historical and spiritual significance, these relics have not yet become attractive highlights in tourist itineraries. According to local leaders, festivals take place regularly and on a large scale, but outside of the festival season, the number of visitors is very low.
Tourists come to Cua Lo mainly to relax and swim, paying little attention to cultural and spiritual sites that bear the mark of the sea.
Mr. Tran Xuan Vinh - Chairman of Nghi Thuy Ward People's Committee (Vinh City)
It can be seen that, besides the natural beauty, Nghe An also possesses unique marine cultural values, creating depth and unique identity for local tourism. Nghe An's marine culture is clearly expressed through relics, traditional festivals and folk craft villages. Cau Ngu Festival is associated with the worship of Whale, expressing gratitude to the sea - one of the outstanding cultural features. Every year, the festival is held in many localities such as Tien Thuy commune (Quynh Luu), Nghi Hai ward (Vinh city), Ngoc Bich commune (Dien Chau) ... with solemn rituals and unique festivities.
In particular, Con Temple in Quynh Phuong Ward (Hoang Mai Town) - one of the major Mother Goddess worship centers in the area also bears the mark of maritime culture, with a sacred festival that attracts a large number of people and tourists to attend.
Not only festivals, Nghe An sea culture is also expressed through traditional craft villages such as salt making, fish grilling, and shipbuilding. In Trung Hau village, Dien Van commune, dozens of red-hot fish grills every day create a bustling working atmosphere and spread the flavor of the sea. Although located near major tourist attractions of Dien Chau district, the craft village still does not have a display area or formal experience activities for visitors.
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The fish grilling profession in Trung Hau is still maintained in the traditional way from the stage of selecting fish to the manual grilling technique. Many tourists visit out of curiosity to learn and participate, but the craft village does not have the conditions to organize official guidance or introduction activities. The desire to promote the craft village culture and create new livelihoods for the people still faces many obstacles in terms of resources and support mechanisms.
Open direction from experience and community tourism
In the context of tourism shifting strongly from sightseeing - resort to experience - discovery, the value of marine culture needs to be exploited in the right direction to create a unique identity for Nghe An tourism. In fact, many tourists today not only want to swim in the sea but also want to immerse themselves in the life of fishermen, attend fishing festivals, boat races, listen to folk songs or grill fish and make fish sauce by themselves.
However, the summer climate in Nghe An coastal area is often harsh, limiting outdoor activities. This requires flexibility in tourism product design, aiming at tours that combine relaxation and cultural exploration such as taking tourists to craft villages, visiting relics, enjoying seafood and Vi and Giam folk songs in a cool space, reasonable in time and content.
In many other localities, the model of linking cultural heritage with tourism has brought about remarkable results. In Thanh Hoa, visitors to Sam Son beach can also visit Doc Cuoc temple, Co Tien pagoda or Trong Mai islet - destinations associated with folk culture. In the South Central region, Cau Ngu festivals are organized on a large scale, integrated into the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Sea Festival as a highlight attracting tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists.
Meanwhile, in Nghe An, thematic tours about fishing villages, traditional festivals or fishermen’s lives are still absent. The lack of in-depth tourism products makes Nghe An tourism heavily dependent on the summer, lacking a close connection with local identity.
Sharing on the occasion of attending the Sen Village Festival in Nghe An in 2025, Mr. Cao Tri Dung - Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association said: "To develop sustainable sea tourism, Nghe An needs to have more unique experiential tourism products to attract tourists all year round, including winter. To do so, it requires the participation of dedicated investors, closely coordinating with the local government and community."
According to Mr. Dung, a practical direction is to develop community tourism associated with intangible cultural heritage such as Vi and Giam folk songs, Cau Ngu Festival, combined with tours to visit craft villages, experiencing the life of fishermen: going out to sea to fish, learning how to grill fish, make salt, fish sauce, process seafood...
Activities of visiting craft villages and experiencing the life of fishermen not only increase interaction and prolong the length of stay, but also create more value for tourism and contribute to preserving coastal culture.
In addition, the locality needs to invest in building a space for performing marine culture - a place to recreate fishermen's activities, organize simulated festivals, introduce traditional occupations, display marine products and perform Vi and Giam folk songs, creating special stops for tourists to fully explore the culture of Nghe An's coastal region.
Mr. Cao Tri Dung - Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association
