Traditional festivals are a unique cultural form and a spiritual product of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, passed down from generation to generation. These festival activities serve as a living museum of customs, habits, and unique lifestyles of each ethnic group and locality. They are also events to remember and express gratitude to deities and national heroes who have contributed to the community and the country. Join Rong Viet Travel Company in exploring the TOP 10 unique festivals in Vietnam through the article below.

 

1. Hung Temple Festival

The Hung Temple Festival, or the Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary, is a traditional ceremony held annually on the 10th day of the third lunar month at Hung Temple, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province. This festival is to commemorate and show gratitude for the founding contributions of the Hung Kings, the first kings of the nation. The worship of the Hung Kings has been listed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam as a national intangible cultural heritage (first batch) and recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

Before the main festival day each year, the festival features many folk cultural activities and concludes on the 10th day of the third lunar month with a procession and incense offering at Thuong Temple.

2. Lim Festival

The Lim Festival is the largest festival in Bac Ninh, attracting tourists to visit and enjoy the spring festival with special programs, listening to Quan ho folk songs, and engaging in many traditional games. It symbolizes the spiritual and cultural life of the Northern people and reminds future generations to remember the contributions of their ancestors and preserve the traditional beauty of the nation.

The festival takes place over three days, from the 12th to the 14th of the first lunar month each year, with the main festival day being the 13th. The Lim Festival is held at three locations: Lim Town, Noi Due Commune, and Lien Bao Commune.

3. Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh

The Tran Temple Festival is held annually from the 15th to the 20th of the eighth lunar month at the Tran Temple historical site in Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province, to honor the contributions of the 14 Tran Kings.

Traveling to Nam Dinh during the festival season, visitors can admire the unique architectural complex of the Tran Dynasty and immerse themselves in the bustling atmosphere of the festival. Even in odd-numbered years, the festival is still lively, with pilgrims flocking to Tran Temple to seek good fortune and prosperity.

4. Giong Festival

The Giong Festival is a major and unique festival commemorating Saint Giong, one of the “immortal” saints of Vietnamese folk beliefs. The Giong Festival is also the most unique and special festival of the Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta, having existed for thousands of years.

Currently, the Northern Delta has many places worshiping Phu Dong Thien Vuong Saint Giong, but the main festival is still held in Phu Dong Village (Gia Lam, Hanoi), where Saint Giong was born, and Phu Linh (Soc Son, Hanoi), where Saint Giong ascended to heaven. This unique festival meets the criteria of an intangible cultural heritage representative of humanity, preserved and passed down from generation to generation, embodying the cultural identity of the community and expressing aspirations for a prosperous and peaceful life.

The official Giong Festival is held annually on the 8th and 9th of the fourth lunar month at Phu Dong Temple and surrounding areas.

5. Spring Festival in Vietnam – Huong Pagoda Festival

The Huong Pagoda Festival is one of the most famous festivals in Vietnam, attracting numerous visitors. The festival is held in My Duc District, Hanoi, and lasts from the 6th day of the first lunar month to the third lunar month, with the busiest period being from the full moon of the first lunar month to the 18th day of the second lunar month.

Every spring, when the apricot blossoms bloom white in Huong Son, millions of Buddhists eagerly attend the festival at Huong Pagoda. This spring festival reflects the Northern region’s religious beauty and is an occasion for many visitors to pray for good luck at the beginning of the year.

The Huong Pagoda Festival features solemn rituals with incense offerings and special ceremonies. The festival also includes many exciting activities such as cheo singing, mountain climbing, boat rowing, and cheo van singing.

6. Yen Tu Festival – An Attractive Tet Festival in Vietnam

The Yen Tu Festival is one of the festivals in Vietnam held in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province, to honor King Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of the Truc Lam Zen sect. The festival lasts throughout the three spring months, starting from the 10th day of the first lunar month to the end of the third lunar month.

At the Yen Tu Festival, you can:

  • Admire the solemn rituals and the bustling atmosphere with activities like bell ringing, drum beating, and New Year blessings.
  • Participate in many traditional games such as tug-of-war, throwing, cockfighting, chess competitions, dragon dancing, and traditional martial arts.
  • Pilgrimage to Dong Pagoda located on the mountain peak at an altitude of 1,068 meters.
  • View the ancient three-tiered stone tower.
  • Visit the sacred Giai Oan Stream.
  • Explore Hoa Yen Pagoda, Mot Mai Pagoda, and Bao Sai Pagoda.

7. Ponagar Tower Festival

The Ponagar Tower Festival (Thien Y A Na Holy Mother Festival) is one of the festivals in Vietnam that should not be missed when traveling to Nha Trang during the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month each year. The festival is held to honor Lady Ponagar, who taught people how to raise livestock, weave fabric, and grow rice.

During the Ponagar Tower Festival in Nha Trang, there are many unique activities such as:

  • The changing of clothes ceremony with incense offerings, agarwood, fruits, flowers, and the main celebrant’s prayers.
  • The flower lantern release ceremony with candles, flowers, and thousands of large and small flower lanterns released on the river to pray for the souls of the deceased.
  • The national peace and prosperity prayer ceremony is a grand ceremony to pray for a peaceful, prosperous, and wealthy country.
  • The food offering ceremony is a solemn ritual to honor the Holy Mother.

8. Hoa Lu Festival in Ninh Binh

The traditional Hoa Lu ancient capital festival (formerly known as Truong Yen Festival or Co Lau Festival) is an annual festival in Ninh Binh Province, held at the beginning of the third lunar month to commemorate two emperors: Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh.

This festival has significant historical value and began when King Ly Cong Uan moved the capital to Thang Long. The festival features rituals that have existed throughout the nation’s history, intertwined with elements of folk legends.

9. Cau Ngu Festival in Central Vietnam

The Cau Ngu Festival is one of the festivals in Vietnam usually held after the Lunar New Year, around March of the solar calendar each year, depending on the locality. This festival is for fishermen in coastal areas to pray for a year of harmony, abundant fish and shrimp, and safe sea journeys.

You can participate in the Cau Ngu Festival in Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, and other places. The Cau Ngu Festival originates from the worship of Ong Nam Hai – the whale, a large but gentle creature that often helps fishermen in distress at sea.

10. King Mai Temple Festival in Nghe An

Traveling to Nghe An during the 13th to the 15th of the first lunar month, you can participate in the King Mai Temple Festival. The festival is held to commemorate the merits of King Mai and his brave generals and the heroic spirit of the Hoan Chau uprising.

At the King Mai Temple Festival, you can enjoy many interesting activities such as:

  • Water procession, offering ceremony, purification ceremony, incense offering, grand ceremony, and flower lantern release ceremony.
  • Boat racing, card games, wrestling, cockfighting, stick pushing, football, volleyball, and cooking competitions.