Top 10 Highlighted Festivals in Vietnam

Huong Pagoda Festival

King Hung Temple Festival – Anniversary for Worshiping King Hung

The Hung Temple Festival held every year in the Nghia Linh mountain is considered the anniversary of Vietnam. The festival is an occasion for people to remember and express gratitude for the work of king Hung – the first king of the nation. However, the festival took place weeks before with many ceremonies as making a pilgrimage to worship the king Hung, beating the copper drum of the Muong ethnic. The main part is held on lunar March 10th with, the rituals held in the Thuong temple.

Hung King Temple Festival
Hung King Temple Festival

Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival in Sam Mountain in An Giang province

This festival takes place from March 23 to April 27 of the lunar calendar, in which the 25th is the main. Since 2001, Ba Chua Xu Festival in the Sam mountain has been recognized as a national festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Viet Nam national administration of tourism. Besides the ceremony is held a solemn traditional form, the gala is also held annually parallel with the ceremony. During this time, cultural activities and folk art are represented extremely lively such as dragon dancing and dishes dancing, and so on, attracting a lot of visitors. According to the beliefs of the people, there still has valuable traditional customs.

Traditional performance in Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival
Traditional performance in Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival

Huong Pagoda Festival

The festival starts from 06th January to the lunar March every year. It is considered one of the biggest festivals of the three festivals of Buddhists in the north of Vietnam. The tourist attraction spots Huong Son have believed the journey of peace lands Buddhism – where the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to current practice. This festival has already attracted many Buddhists, as well as the tourists in the country and abroad to join the pilgrimage. The most animated time of the festival is from the 15th January to 18th February lunar.

Huong Pagoda Festival
Huong Pagoda Festival

Nghinh Ong Festival – The Famous Festival in Can Tho Province

The biggest festival for fishermen in the southern region is an opportunity to express a sincere heart, commemorate the enormous deserts of the whale. The fisherman performs rituals to pray for the works to be swimmingly. The Nghinh Ong festival takes place on the occasion of the 15th annual lunar August. The festival (in Can Gio) has some similarities with the ritual ceremony of the Nghinh Ong festival in other areas. But the festival is also a difference in the ritual with many legends, and folk tales about the history of the formation and development of Can Gio. The festival attracted about 15,000- 20,000 visitors annually. Can Gio need to maintain and promote cultural values, local customs.

Boats - Some days before the main festival of Nghinh Ong
Boats – Some days before the main festival of Nghinh Ong

Yen Tu Spring Festival to Express Gratitude to the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong

Every year, the Yen Tu Festival is held from the 10th lunar month and lasts for 3 months of spring. After the solemn ceremony organized by the local government in the foothills of Yen Tu mountain is the pilgrimage of millions of people to the highest top of Yen Tu – Copper pagoda. The road to the top of Yen Tu is winding, bumpy, under the giant shade of the tree, through the pine forest, bamboo… With 3 hours of strenuous climbing, tourists can reach the Copper pagoda. In festivals, the influx of people from everywhere flock to Yen Tu, many pilgrims come to Buddha-land to express faith, pray fortune. Someone go to Yen Tu for sightseeing spring scenery, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. A lot of foreign tourists know Yen Tu as a religious tourist attraction, courtesy, culture, and ecology.

Yen Tu Pagoda Festival
Yen Tu Pagoda Festival

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival in Ninh Binh province

The Bai Dinh pagoda located in Ninh Binh Province is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia… Bai Dinh Pagoda temple now holds new records, as the largest pagoda in Vietnam, the largest bronze Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, the two biggest bell in Southeast Asia, the temple has many Arhat statues in Vietnam, the largest pagoda Vietnam wells, the temple has the biggest linden Vietnam…

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival
Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival

The Bai Dinh pagoda festival is held from the 1st lunar January, the festival opens on the 6th and lasts until the end of March. The opening ceremony for the pilgrimage festivals in the ancient capital Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh welcomes millions of pilgrims attending. Part of the ritual ceremonies includes incensing to worship Buddha, commemorating the merit of the Holy Nguyen Minh Khong, sacrificing joss Cao Son and the Holy Mother Thuong Ngan. Part of the festival happens folk games, visiting caves, temples sightseeing, enjoying singing Cheo art, Xam, Ca tru Citadel land.

Lim Festival in Bac Ninh Province

The Lim Festival is a major festival in early spring in the Kinh Bac region held from 12th to 14th lunar January every year in Bac Ninh province. The festival officially is opened on the 13th with a procession. The procession with a large number of people participating in the ancient, colorful, and sophisticated dresses, extend to all near km.

Men and women in traditional costumes, Lim Festival
Men and women in traditional costumes, Lim Festival

There are many folk games such as fighting, wrestling, chess, swinging, weaving, rice cooking. The most special part is singing. Singing contests take place nearly noon, organized in the form of their singing yacht. A party boat is for the girls, opposite are children in a four-panel dress. The men stand or sit on two sides and end of the boat. The evening of the 13th will be the singing competition between the villages.

Ba Den Mountain Festival in Tay Ninh Province

Being recognized as the most spiritual land in the southern region, the Ba Den mountain festival in Tay Ninh province is one of the largest Spring Festival in southern which takes place from 4th Lunar New Year. Every year, visitors flock there to pilgrimage, worship, and visit at Ba Den Mountain from 30th and last during January, February lunar calendar, especially on the full moon in January.

Ba Den Mountain Festival
Ba Den Mountain Festival

On the hiking trails, visitors can stop at the Linh Son Thanh Mau temple. Travelers go to the Ba Den festival to pray for protection, clearance, and spiritual needs as well as the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque scenery in Ba Den Mountain.

Cow Racing Festival in Bay Nui, An Giang Province

The cow Racing festival takes place in late August and early September (29/8 – 2/9) in Tri Ton district, An Giang province. This is a colorful festival with the cultural identity of ethnic Khmer people in the Southwest. The cow racing festival in An Giang always attracts thousands of visitors to follow and cheer.

Cow racing festival in An Giang
Cow racing festival in An Giang

The cows participating in the festival are selected from the most healthy, agile cows. About 2 months before the festival, the cows are resting, eating, and practicing under a special regime to prepare for the race. According to the conception of the ethnic, cow racing has a special meaning. The winning cows not only bring their owners pride but also gives happiness to the hamlet and promise to be easily cultivated, yielding a rich harvest.

Dong Da Hillock Festival

The Dong Da hillock festival takes place in Dong Da district, Hanoi on the 5th of the Lunar New Year every year. This is a victory festival held to commemorate the glorious achievement of King Quang Trung – the hero in the history of foreign aggression against the nation.

Dong Da Hillock festival
Dong Da Hillock festival

The Dong Quang pagoda located opposite the Dong Da hillock is a place, where celebrate Requiem, incense offering commemorate the heroes, who have devoted mean people and for the country. In this festival there have many fun games healthy, showing chivalry, especially fire dragon procession has become a traditional festival of Hanoi. After the fire dragon procession incense, reading funeral oration takes place in Khuong Thuong communal house, Requiem in Dong Quang pagoda.