Vạn Mỹ Khê, also known as the Mỹ Khê Whale Shrine, is located by the sea in Mỹ Khê Village, Tam Thanh Commune, Phú Quý Island District. The shrine was built around the late 18th century.

Established in 1785, Vạn Mỹ Khê has existed for over 231 years, serving as a folk religious institution closely tied to the whale-worshipping traditions of the Mỹ Khê fishing community. This shrine reflects generations of local fishermen’s beliefs and practices as they depended on the sea for their livelihood. Its presence is also associated with the early settlement and land reclamation efforts of the community’s ancestors. The shrine still preserves two royal decrees conferring titles to the Nam Hải deity (Whale God) during the reign of Emperor Khải Định.

Each year, three main ceremonial festivals take place at Vạn Mỹ Khê, following the traditional “Spring for blessings – Autumn for gratitude” pattern, along with the Cố Memorial Ceremony held on the 20th day of the 4th lunar month.

The Spring Ceremony, held between the first and third lunar months, is conducted to pray for peace and prosperity, favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and a successful fishing season with abundant catches.

The Autumn Ceremony, held between the seventh and ninth lunar months, is meant to offer thanks to the Whale God for a prosperous and safe year, expressing the villagers’ gratitude for divine protection.

The Cố Memorial Ceremony on the 20th day of the 4th lunar month is the most significant annual event of the shrine. It commemorates the first whale to be found washed ashore by the fishermen of Mỹ Khê. According to long-standing local belief and customs, the whale was honored with a burial, its bones enshrined, and worshipped in the lăng (mausoleum) as a sacred protector.

Due to its rich cultural and historical significance, Vạn Mỹ Khê was officially recognized as a Provincial-Level Historical and Cultural Site by the People’s Committee of Bình Thuận Province under Decision No. 2154/QĐ-UBND dated October 30, 2012.