Every year on the 24th day of the 4th lunar month, pilgrims from all over flock to Sam Mountain to attend the Ba Chua Xu Festival, creating a bustling and festive atmosphere. Notably, in 2010, the 10th anniversary of the festival was marked by its elevation to a National Level Festival.

Sam Mountain is located in Chau Doc Town, An Giang Province. The Sam Mountain tourist area is a collection of national-level cultural relics such as Tay An Ancient Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, and especially the Ba Chua Xu Temple situated at the foot of the mountain. Ba Chua Xu Temple is one of the famous landmarks of Sam Mountain and a destination for travelers from all directions; it is also a place where people come to pray for the most sacred and beautiful things in life.

Annually, from the 24th to the 27th of the 4th lunar month, local people celebrate the Goddess’s festival with solemn rituals. On the night of the 23rd leading into the 24th, the festival opens with the “Lady Bathing” (tắm Bà) ritual. A lace-trimmed cloth curtain embroidered with colorful flowers and letters is drawn across the altar, obscuring the statue area. A selected group of 4-5 women uses fragrant water to clean the statue’s body, then changes her crown and clothes. Once the ritual is finished, the curtain is pulled aside for people to enter and worship, with everyone trying to get as close to the altar as possible to ask for “lộc” (blessed gifts), which might be a few flowers or fruits from the altar.

There are many folk legends regarding the origin of the Ba Chua Xu Temple, but one is most widely accepted. Between 1820 and 1825, the Chau Doc–An Giang region was still a wild, sparsely populated land, frequently harassed and looted by Siamese troops. On one occasion, the enemy chased villagers to the top of Sam Mountain. There, they encountered the statue of the Lady. Seeing it as a precious treasure, they greedily attempted to steal it. However, while carrying the statue down the mountainside, they dropped it, breaking one of its arms. After that, they continued trying to move it, but it became so heavy they could not lift it, eventually abandoning it on the slope.

Later, the Lady often appeared in people’s dreams, identifying herself as the Goddess of the Realm (Bà Chúa Xứ). She instructed the villagers to carry her down the mountain and build a temple, promising to bless them with favorable weather, bumper harvests, protection from invaders, and freedom from epidemics. The villagers gathered to bring the statue back for worship. Strangely, despite dozens of strong young men’s efforts, they could not lift the statue. When Mr. Nguyen Van Thoai (Thoai Ngoc Hau) arrived to govern the region and establish settlements, the villagers reported the discovery of the statue to him.

Mr. Thoai gathered strong men to bring the statue down, but they still could not budge it. Suddenly, a young girl went into a trance, claiming to be the “Holy Mother of the Realm” and requested that 9 virgins, bathed and dressed in fine clothes, come to invite her down. Mr. Thoai followed the instructions, and miraculously, the statue became light enough to carry. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the statue suddenly became heavy again, and the girls could no longer move it. People guessed that the Lady had chosen this spot to reside, so they built a temple there. This is the Ba Chua Xu Temple of Sam Mountain today, and the day she was brought down is chosen as the annual festival day (24th-27th of the 4th lunar month). Since then, folk belief has revered her as a miraculous blessing from heaven and earth.

The temple was first erected in 1870, originally a simple structure of bamboo and leaves. By 1972, it was rebuilt in an Oriental architectural style, featuring a characteristic green color within a massive, splendid, and unique complex. Inside, the statue is placed in the center of the main hall, wearing a crown and a robe embroidered with sparkling phoenix patterns. This unique temple and extraordinary statue have led many researchers to study them. Over time, it was determined that the stone used to carve the statue is a type of shale.

According to archaeologists, the statue is an embodiment of the god Shiva, a unique work of art carved in the 6th century. It is made from a sedimentary volcanic rock called shale. This type of rock is formed in deltas and ocean pits with a fine-grained structure; each layer represents a cycle of deposition that occurs when the sea is calm.

For a long time, it has been believed that Ba Chua Xu always protects the people. Anyone who comes to pray for something finds their wishes fulfilled. The sacredness of Ba Chua Xu of Sam Mountain has spread far and wide, attracting more and more pilgrims to offer worship, especially during her festival days.

According to vnmission