Dinh Cậu — Dương Đông

The rock that led the boats to shore

Legend has it that one night the sea rose in fury. Boats offshore lost their bearings in the heavy waves, and the people aboard saw a rock rising out of the water. They followed it and made it to shore. That rock lies in Dương Đông, and the place where the fishermen came to give thanks is Dinh Cậu.

The shrine on the rocks

Dinh Cậu sits beside the Dương Đông shore, on top of a rocky headland stretching out into the sea. The rocks take striking shapes, waves break on three sides, and jagged boulders crowd its base. At the top stands an old shrine with a moss-covered tiled roof; locals call this place "ancient, sacred holy ground".

The shrine is also known as the Long Vương (Dragon King) temple, where fishermen pray for safety from storms and heavy seas. It dates from the 17th century, when the first settlers from central Việt Nam came to live on the island; some of the present buildings were built in 1937 and restored in 1997. The main hall honours a Lady, Bà Chúa, together with two Cậu: Cậu Tài and Cậu Quý.

Everyone tells it differently

There is more than one version of the Dinh Cậu story. One tells of a Taoist hermit who lived hidden in a rock cave; the locals later called him Cậu and built the shrine to worship him. Another tells of a stranger who came to live in seclusion around the early 20th century and sealed the cave entrance with stones. One study even finds traces of the goddess worship of southern Việt Nam in Dinh Cậu. Every version shares one thing: those at sea were guided home.

The Dinh Cậu festival

Every year, on the 15th and 16th days of the tenth lunar month, the people of Phú Quốc hold the Dinh Cậu festival, with the Yết Cậu, Chánh Tế and Nghinh Cậu rites, followed by festivities with lion dances, hát bội (classical theatre), boat races and folk games.