Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Festival, a special event in the central city of Danang's Marble Mountains, was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage on March 25.

The recognition was handed over by Nong Quoc Thanh, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Department of Cultural Heritage, to authorities of Danang's People's Committee.

The Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Statue procession is the most eagerly-anticipated ritual during the festival. Photo: Danang Museum

Along with K20 historic site, Marble Mountains and other cultural and historical relics in Danang, the Quan The Am Festival would help fostering the city’s tourism development, said chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Trung Chinh.

The festival is held annually on the 19th of the second month of the lunar calendar at Quan The Am Pagoda in Kim Son Mountain - the largest among the Buddhist temples in the Marble Mountains (No 48 Su Van Hanh Street, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District).

A wide range of activities are held at the festival including a Buddhist texts praying ritual, a photo exhibition on Indian Buddhism, a visit to the Buddhist cultural museum, an incense offering ceremony to commemorate Princess Huyen Tran (1287-1340), and a traditional boat regatta.

In 2000, the Quan The Am festival was ranked among the 15 biggest festivals nationwide. Hundreds of thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns and followers across the country attend the festival celebration every year.

Quan The Am Pagoda, built in 1957, is the highlight of the Marble Mountains tourist complex, with wonderful natural landscapes featuring ancient pagodas, mysterious caves and picturesque scenery.