Edible Birds’ Nests Commemoration Day
Recognized as “The Caviar of the East”, Edible Bird’s nests are among the most expensive tonics consumed by East Asians. Also, Vietnam is not an exception. Every year when it comes to March 9th and 10th in lunar calendar, citizens in Cù Lao Chàm isle, Quảng Nam province start holding a traditional festival known as a commemoration day for Edible Bird’s nest career which has been existing for hundreds of years in Vietnam.
This is an annual festival started 150 years ago in aim of commemorating predecessors who initialized and developed this type of industry in the city. In the recent years, the festival is also an occasion for those who long for peace, prosperity, timely rains and favorable weather. Moreover, it is a good chance to remind later generations about this valuable and rare natural resource.
The festival occurs in which many interesting activities are carried out, such as the main ceremony, boat racing, tug of war on boats, performing traditional folk arts which can be singing, martial art, or organizing a traditional food fair. Apart from all these things, if paying a visit to Cù Lao Chàm during this event, visitors are able to join in a sightseeing tour into Tò Vò Cave, where we have a chance to witness the domiciles of the birds and learn about the process in exploiting the nests which is considered hard and dangerous.
But there are just more to come. Do you want to taste the one-of-a-kind wine made out of birds’ eggs, sea cucumber, or even abalone? If yes, why don’t you just give yourself a chance to drop over Quảng Nam city?
By inventing, celebrating and preserving this tradition for over 150 years, Vietnamese are showing their deep gratitude to this valuable and rare natural resource, what has secured their lives. Have you ever seen anyone does such great thing?
I really hope that I can join in this festival once, and feel the warm atmosphere between humans.