Whale worship a way of life for Vietnam fishermen
- Published: 22 Nov 2012 at 21.47
- Online news: Asia
At a colourful temple next to the turquoise sea off Ly Son Island, weather-beaten Vietnamese fishermen offer up their prayers to an unusual god -- "Ca Ong" or Mr Whale.
79-year-old fisherman Tran Ngo Xuong (L) prays at a whale-worshiping temple on Ly Son island. At the colourful, ornate temple, weather-beaten Vietnamese fishermen offer up their prayers to an unusual god -- 'Ca Ong' or Mr. Whale. Up and down Vietnam's 3,200 km of coastline, fishing communities worship giant whales, which they view as their guardian angels -- a religious phenomenon.
Before setting sail on a month-long voyage, Nguyen Hoang Loi makes a pilgrimage to the ornately decorated Tan Temple, which houses the remains of two sacred giant whales.
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