Admire the skin of the largest shark in Vietnam in Ganh Hao – Bac Lieu

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Twelve years ago, an Ong shark (whale shark) “lucked” in the open sea and was brought ashore by Ganh Hao fisherman. After that, Ong fish is processed, stuffed with skin and displayed at Tomb of Ong Nam Hai.

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Tomb of Ong Nam Hai is located along Ganh Hao beach (Dong Hai district, Bac Lieu province). This is a cultural institution belonging to the folk beliefs of local fishermen, established a long time ago. In 2003, the mausoleum was rebuilt by the locality to worship Nam Hai, the fish ong (whale).

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Ong Nam Hai’s mausoleum was built not too big but quite spacious, prominently on the roof of the mausoleum is the image of 2 Ong fish. Fishermen worship the god Nam Hai because they believe that when it is stormy, the waves are big and windy, he always helps fishermen escape in the immense sea.

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Tomb of Ong Nam Hai – Ganh Hao worships the ancestors of the fishery, and is also the common ancestor of the fishermen of the East Sea – Bac Lieu. Inside the mausoleum, there is a prominent image of a fisherman’s fishing boat which displays many artifacts and documents about Ong fish. 

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A cluster of worship in the area of ​​Ong Nam Hai’s Tomb. People burn incense to pay tribute to Long Vuong.

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In 2010, fishermen in Ganh Hao town discovered an Ong shark (whale shark) “lucky” in the open sea and was brought ashore by fishermen. Ong fish is 9.7m long, over 5m in circumference, and weighs about 13 tons. After that, Ong fish was mummified and preserved by the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography, stuffed with skin and displayed at Ong Nam Hai Mausoleum.

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By 2013, this stuffed fish skin was established by the Vietnam Record Organization as the largest in Vietnam.

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At the Tomb of Ong Nam Hai, there is a display of legendary documents about Ong fish, as follows: ” On the way down to the South, Lord Nguyen Anh (later King Gia Long) was chased by the Tay Son army, suddenly there was a storm. When a big storm came, Lord Nguyen’s boat swayed and was about to sink. Suddenly, a fish appeared in the water. He helped Lord Nguyen’s boat to come ashore.

After ascending to the throne in 1802, King Gia Long remembered his gratitude for saving the price, immediately gave him the title of “Nam Hai Cu Toc, Ngoc Lan Thuong Dang Than”, passing an edict to the fishing villages where the ancient dragon boat had landed to set up a mausoleum. , build a temple to worship “.

During the reign of King Minh Mang, he ordained: ” National Dai Cang Nam Hai Dai General” and named his fish “Nhan Ngu “.

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During the reign of King Thieu Tri in 1843, he ordained the fisherman: ” Dong Hai Dong Dinh Quan Chi Lan Trung Dang Than “.

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Tomb of Ong Nam Hai – Ganh Hao still preserves many precious cultural heritages, with more than 20 skeletons of Ong fish brought to the Tomb by fishermen to worship. Many local fishermen said that there are fish skeletons that are decades old, even hundreds of years old.

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Ong Nam Hai’s Tomb is ranked by the Bac Lieu Provincial People’s Committee as a district level festival . Nghinh Ong Nam Hai festival takes place from 9-11 of the 3rd lunar month every year, attracting thousands of people from inside and outside Bac Lieu province to attend. The festival is an opportunity for local fishermen to express their respect and gratitude to the Ong fish for preserving and protecting them for a year of safe sailing and a bountiful harvest of fish and shrimp.

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