Hoi An Ancient Town

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The Bird’s Nest Gatherers’ Ancestral Ceremony in Cham Island

On the morning of April 7, 2025 (the 10th day of Lunar March), at the Bird’s Nest Gatherers’ Ancestral temple in Bai Huong village, Cham Island, the Board of Bird's nests exploitation and management in coordination with the People's Committee of Tan Hiep Commune and local communities organized the ancestral ceremony.
gio to nghe yen
The Bird’s Nest Gatherers’ Ancestral temple in Bai Huong village, Cham Island - Photo: Phuoc Tinh
 
     The ceremony is formally held every year to pray for a good and safe harvest at these temples.

     In Cham Island, swiftlets live in the Kho, Xanh Reu, Bac Cau, Ky Trau and Can caves of Hon Tai island, and the To Vo, Ca, Cot Buom and Tran Quy caves of Hon Lao island. In the old days, Champa residents exploited bird's nests here. Later, Vietnamese residents of Thanh Chau village in Hoi An (about 20 - 25km away from Cham island) continued to collect bird's nests and pay tribute to the Nguyen Lords of Cochinchina as taxes. From the late 19th century to 1974, the local government assigned bird's nest protectors of Thanh Chau village to guard, exploit and sell them to large companies and shophouses in Hoi An town. From 1975 to the present, the exploitation and consumption of bird's nests has been managed by the People's Committee of Hoi An city. 
 
cung gio to nghe yen
A religious ritual in the Ancestral ceremony - Photo: Phuoc Tinh
 
     Associated with bird's nest harvesting are architectural relics and traditional folk festivals which are imbued with aquaculture. In Thanh Chau village (now belonging to Cam Thanh commune), legend has it that Mr. Tran Tien and his wife were instrumental in discovering bird's nests and opening the bird's nest harvesting in Cham Island.

Author: Phạm Phước Tịnh

Source: Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation

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