Huong pagoda festival, Hanoi

The Huong pagoda festival runs from 18/2 to 11/5 (the second day of the first lunar month to the 25th day of the third lunar month). The festival spans the entire Huong Pagoda Special National Relic site in My Duc commune, featuring 4 tour routes and 20 temples, pagodas, and caves dedicated to Buddha. Beyond the Thien Tru - Huong Tich route, visitors can also explore sites such as Thanh Son pagoda, Huong Dai cave, Long Van pagoda, Cay Khe pagoda, Nguoi Xua cave, and Tuyet Son pagoda.

Following the traditional festival, the locality continues to organize cultural, spiritual, sports, and artistic activities to extend the tourism season, aiming to welcome visitors year-round.

The service fee for visitors to the Huong Tich route is 230,000 VND per adult. Anh: Giang Huy

Lim festival, Bac Ninh

The Lim festival, a quintessential festival of the Kinh Bac region, celebrates the essence of Quan Ho folk songs. It takes place annually from the 13th to the 15th day of the first lunar month. Alongside the solemn rituals, the vibrant festival includes Quan Ho singing performances, folk games, and traditional cultural activities, drawing many visitors from all directions.

In 9/2009, Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs were inscribed by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Beyond the Lim festival, Bac Ninh is known as a land of festivals, with about 500 large and small events occurring throughout the year, creating a unique cultural tapestry of the Kinh Bac countryside. Anh: Cuc du lich quoc gia

Yen Tu festival, Quang Ninh

The Yen Tu Spring festival opening ceremony is held on 26/2 (the 10th day of the first lunar month) at Truc Lam Palace, within the Yen Tu Relic and Scenic Landscape complex in Yen Tu ward, Quang Ninh province.

At an altitude of 1,068 m above sea level, Yen Tu is famous for its majestic scenery, with ancient pagodas, hermitages, and towers hidden among old-growth forests. This site is also the birthplace and development center of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Buddhism school more than 700 years ago.

The Yen Tu Spring festival lasts about three months, making it one of the largest and longest spring festivals in the country. It attracts millions of pilgrims and Buddhists each season. Anh: Hoang Chinh

Tran temple festival, Ninh Binh

Tran temple, located on Tran Thua street, Nam Dinh ward, is a complex of relics associated with the former Tran dynasty in Thien Truong phu. The Tran temple festival, one of the largest festivals in the Northern region, takes place annually from the 11th to the 16th day of the first lunar month, featuring three main rituals: the seal opening, the Ngoc Lo palanquin procession, and the water procession for fish offering.

Among these, the seal opening and distribution ceremony is held on the night of the 14th day of the first lunar month.

According to historical records, the tradition of opening the seal originated during the Tran dynasty. After defeating the Yuan-Mongolian invaders, King Tran Thai Tong held a victory banquet, rewarded, and bestowed titles upon his generals at Thien Truong phu. From then on, at the beginning of each spring, the Tran kings performed the seal opening ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors, marking the start of a year of smooth governance. Anh: Ngoc Thanh

Co rn temple festival, Nghe An

Co rn temple is located in Phuong Can village, Quynh Mai commune, 75 km north of Vinh center and about 220 km south of Hanoi.

People in Nghe An often say "first Co rn, second Qua, third Ma, fourth Chieu Trung", ranking Co rn temple as the most sacred. Next are Qua Son temple in Do Luong commune, Bach Ma temple in Thanh Chuong commune, and Chieu Trung Le Khoi temple on Nam Gioi mountain in Ha Tinh province.

The Co rn temple festival runs from the 19th to the 21st day of the first lunar month. In addition to the solemn rituals, the festival features many unique activities such as the flying palanquin procession, wrestling, boat racing, and Ca Tru singing.

In 2017, the Co rn temple festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Anh: Duc Hung

Ba Thien Hau pagoda festival, TP HCM

The Ba Thien Hau pagoda festival, held from the beginning of the first lunar month, with the main day on the full moon, is one of Southern Vietnam's major festivals, attracting thousands of participants. The statue of Ba (goddess) is placed on a palanquin and paraded through many central streets of Thu Dau Mot (formerly Binh Duong), accompanied by lion-dragon dances, classical opera, and vibrant folk activities.

According to legend, Thien Hau Holy Mother (birth name Lam Mac Nuong, from Fujian, Trung Quoc) was bestowed the title "Thien Hau Holy Mother" in 1110, as the protector of seafarers. The procession honors the goddess, praying for favorable weather, peace, and prosperity for fishermen and merchants.

Beyond Thu Dau Mot, Thien Hau temples in Lai Thieu, Cho Bung, and Bung Cau also organize festivals on the full moon of the first lunar month, creating a bustling pilgrimage atmosphere in the Southeastern region during early spring. Anh: Tran Quynh

Lantern festival parade, TP HCM

The Lantern festival in TP HCM is a distinctive cultural festival of the Chinese community in the Cho Lon area. The Nghia An Assembly Hall, dedicated to Quan Vu (Quan Thanh De Quan), a symbol of loyalty and heroic spirit from the Three Kingdoms era, is central to the activities.

Annually, the assembly hall hosts two major ceremonies: the Lantern festival (13th day of the first lunar month) and the commemoration of Quan Cong (24/6 lunar month), considered Quan Cong's birth and ascension day.

The parade takes place from 16h30 to 18h30, featuring about 1,000 performers from various Chinese assembly halls. Starting from Nghia An Assembly Hall on Nguyen Trai street, the procession travels through Tan Da - Tran Hung Dao - Phung Hung - Hai Thuong Lan Ong - Do Ngoc Thanh - Nguyen Trai - Chau Van Liem - Lao Tu - Luong Nhu Hoc streets before returning to its starting point.

During this occasion, Vietnamese and Chinese residents visit pagodas to pray for peace and good fortune at the beginning of the year. Anh: Tran Quynh

Ong pagoda festival, Dong Nai

Ong pagoda Bien Hoa, located by the Dong Nai river, was originally Quan De temple, established in 1684. The structure is linked to General Tran Thuong Xuyen and Chinese settlers who reclaimed and settled Cu Lao Pho after submitting to Lord Nguyen.

Annually, the festival takes place on the 10th day of the first lunar month in Tran Bien ward. In 2023, the Ong pagoda festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The annual event features activities such as the Nghinh Than street procession, Don Ca Tai Tu, classical opera, lion-dragon dances, calligraphy, and lantern release. Anh: Phuoc Tuan

Ba Den mountain festival, Tay Ninh

The Ba Den mountain spring festival opens on the 4th day of Tet Nguyen Dan and continues until the end of the first lunar month. This is a famous traditional festival in Tay Ninh and the Southeastern provinces. Visitors to Ba Den often set up tents and camp at the foot of the mountain in preparation for the largest annual pilgrimage to this spiritual site.

Ba Den is an extinct volcano located mostly in Binh Minh ward, Tay Ninh province. At an altitude of 986 m, it is the highest mountain in Southern Vietnam, dubbed "De Nhat Thien Son" (the first sacred mountain). According to 19th-century historical records, Ba Den mountain was considered a sacred mountain protecting Gia Dinh citadel (former Saigon), with "golden bells appearing in the lake, and dragon boats gliding on moonlit nights". At the beginning of the year, locals and tourists often make pilgrimages here to pray for peace and good luck. Anh: Hai Trieu

Lam Chay festival, Tay Ninh

The Lam Chay festival is held annually from the 14th to the 16th day of the first lunar month at Tan Xuan communal house relic site, Tam Vu commune (formerly Long An), to commemorate the patriotic scholars Do Tuong Phong and Do Tuong Tu, who were executed by French colonialists. Over the years, the festival has also come to signify prayers for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and the restoration of traditional folk values.

The most important part of the festival is the ritual of inviting Ong Tieu (Tieu Dien Dai Si), a Bodhisattva specializing in subduing demons and saving sentient beings, from the pagoda to the communal house courtyard.

Besides the rituals, the festival features many vibrant activities such as lion-dragon dances, classical opera, folk games, and cultural performances for the public. A highlight is the "giat loc" (scrambling for blessings) ritual on a tall platform after the offerings. Anh: Hoang Nam

Tuan Anh