WORSHIP OF GHE SÁU AT ÔNG CHƯỞNG ISLET, CHỢ MỚI DISTRICT, AN GIANG PROVINCE

Abstract

The custom of worshiping Ghe Sáu (Six Paddles Boat) is one of the special folk belief activities that combined animism with the worship of the national heroes in modern times of the inhabitants of Ông Chưởng islet, Chợ Mới district, An Giang province. The Ghe Sáu is worshiped in Bửu Sơn Pagoda which is dedicated to Chief of Regiment Trần Văn Thành. This boat used to be his important item during the Bảy Thưa uprising (1867-1873). This custom with local cultural characteristics shows the patriotic spirit and attitude of the residents towards the ecological environment-river culture. This article indicates three main issues such as the process of forming the worship of Ghe Sáu; its features; the role of this custom in the cultural life of the inhabitants of Ông Chưởng islet. Thereby, it affirms that the custom of worshiping Ghe Sáu is one of the cultural characteristics of the region, which needs to be preserved and promoted