Traditional festivals are a unique cultural form, a spiritual product of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, passed down from generation to generation. The festival activities are like a living museum of customs, traditions and lifestyles unique to each ethnic group and locality. This is also an event to commemorate and express the people’s gratitude to the national gods and heroes who have contributed to the community and the country. Join Rong Viet travel company to explore the 10 most unique festivals in Vietnam through the article below.
1. Hanging Temple Festival
The Hung Temple Festival or Anniversary of the Death of King Hung is a traditional ceremony held annually on the tenth day of the third lunar month at the Hung Temple, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province; to commemorate and express gratitude for the contributions of the Hung Kings, the nation’s first kings, to the founding of the country. The cult of the Hung Kings has been registered by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage (phase 1) and recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Every year before the main festival, the festival is held with many folk cultural activities and ends on the tenth day of the third lunar month with the palanquin procession and incense offering at Thuong Temple.
2. Hoi Lim
Lim Festival is the largest festival in Bac Ninh and attracts tourists to visit and enjoy the festival in early spring with special programs, listening to Quan Ho tunes and many folk games. Not only does it have symbolic meaning of the spirit and spiritual culture of the Tonkin people, the Lim festival also reminds future generations to remember the merits of their predecessors and educate them to preserve the traditional beauty of the nation.
The festival takes place for 3 days, from the 12th to the 14th of the first lunar month of each year, with the largest crowds occurring on the main day of the festival, January 13th. The Lim Festival is held in 3 locations: Lim City, Noi Due Commune and Lien Bao.
3. Tran Nam Dinh Temple Festival
The Tran Temple Festival is held from the 15th to the 20th of the eighth lunar month every year at the relic site of Tran Temple in Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province, to pay tribute to the merits of the 14 Tran kings.
Traveling to Nam Dinh to the Tran Temple relic site during the Festival tourist season, visitors will admire the unique architectural complex of the Tran Dynasty and at the same time immerse themselves in the lively atmosphere of the Festival. In even years, the festival is larger than in odd years. But without waiting for the main festival, visitors from all over eagerly flocked to the Tran temple to make a pilgrimage, wishing for good things and prosperity.
4. Giong Festival
Hoi Giong is a large and unique festival commemorating Saint Giong, one of the “immortal” saints of Vietnamese folk beliefs. Hoi Giong is also the most unique and special festival of the Vietnamese people in the northern delta. The ministry has existed for thousands of years. of history.
Nowadays, the North Delta has many places to worship Lord Phu Dong Thien Vuong Thanh Giong, but the main festival is still celebrated in Phu Dong village (Gia Lam, Hanoi) where Thanh Giong and Phu Linh (Soc Son, Hanoi) were born. ). ) where Saint Giong was incarnated, this unique Giong Festival meets the criteria of Intangible Cultural Heritage representing humanity, preserved by the community, passed down from generation to generation and preserved as part of its cultural identity, containing creativity, expressing aspirations of a prosperous and peaceful life.
Every year, the official Giong Festival is held on the 8th and 9th of the fourth lunar month in and around Phu Dong Temple.
5. Long Tong Festival of the Tay people
The Long Tong Festival, also often called the festival that goes down to the fields, is a festival of the Tay ethnic group, and also brings together the most typical cultural nuances of ethnic groups such as: Nung, Dao, San Chi… It is considered an activity religious to pray to God for a favorable climate, lush trees, good harvests and a prosperous life. The festival takes place in the biggest and best fields. There is still no research document that confirms when this festival existed. But certainly, the origin of the festival must have arisen from the society of the Tay people when they lived in towns and communities.
The festival’s celebration time depends on each place to adapt to the terrain. Localities close to each other can agree to choose different days to have the opportunity to interact and exchange. Every year in Chiem Hoa (Tuyen Quang), the festival is usually held on January 8.
6. Ponagar Tower Festival Nha Trang
The Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang is held every year from the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month, at the Ponagar Tower relic site, Vinh Phuoc district, Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province .
This is a symbol of national unity, contributing to the community cohesion of the ethnic groups of the Central region. Festivals are activities that contribute to preserving national cultural identity. The rituals, cult objects, traditional costumes, shadow dances, ancient plays… recreated in the festival have satisfied the creative needs of the people, as well as the need for cultural enjoyment. The source of culture flows and permeates gradually through generations without being lost in time.
7. Nghinh Ong Can Gio Festival
Every year, on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, the Nghinh Ong festival is celebrated in Can Gio district. It is a traditional folk festival held in honor of “His Excellency Ca Ong”, also known as General Nam Hai, and attracts a large number of people.
It is an old custom of fishermen, but since Can Gio is located “near” Saigon, many people come to attend. Today, the festival is widely presented to domestic and foreign tourists as a unique cultural feature of this land. Therefore, on the occasion of the Nghinh Ong festival, Can Gio district welcomes a large number of tourists and people from all over the region to attend the ceremony.
8. Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival on Sam Mountain
For those who like spiritual tourism, you surely know the Ba Chua Xu Temple built at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc. This is a leading spiritual tourist destination in An Giang with beautiful architecture, especially at night.
The Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival takes place from the night of April 23 to the end of April 27 of the lunar calendar each year. The worship rituals will be performed by the townspeople according to traditional rituals. Before the main ceremonies take place, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, the board of directors The temple will choose a person to preside over the ceremony. This person must be 60 years old or older, healthy, have a spouse, children and good morals.
9. Ninh Binh Lu Lu Flower Festival
The traditional festival of the ancient capital Hoa Lu (previously known as Truong Yen festival or Co Lau festival) is an annual festival of Ninh Binh province, held at the beginning of the third lunar month each year, as an opportunity to commemorate two emperors: Dinh Tien. Hoang and Le Dai Hanh.
This is a festival with rich historical value, which began when King Ly Cong Uan moved the capital to Thang Long, with rituals that have existed throughout the nation’s history, mixing a little color with popular legends.
10. Perfume Pagoda Festival
One of the most anticipated January festivals in the North is the Perfume Pagoda Festival (Hanoi). The Perfume Pagoda in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, is one of the attractive spiritual tourist destinations that attracts a large number of visitors, especially in the early spring of the new year.
The festival takes place from January to March of the lunar calendar, the opening day is January 6 each year. However, the time that attracts the most visitors is from the full moon of the first lunar month to the 18th day of the second lunar month.
During this time, all temples, pagodas, shrines and shrines are filled with incense smoke and a festive atmosphere covers the entire Huong Son Commune. By participating in the festival, visitors will not only be able to offer incense and pray for peace, but also immerse themselves in nature, the majestic mountains and forests imprinted with the mark of Buddha. There, visitors can also participate in unique ethnic cultural activities, such as boating, mountain climbing and Cheo singing, literary singing…