Great festivals after Tet in Vietnam

Lim Festival in the northern province of Bac Ninh is held on the 13th day of the first lunar month at Lim town, Tien Du district.  It is famous for showcasing the locals’ unique vocal stylings through Quan Ho folk songs. The best singers from villages are chosen to compete in singing dialogues, which take place in beautiful natural settings. During the festival, there are competitions of weaving and wrestling, processions and worship ceremonies and folk games.

Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi often opens on the 6th day of the first lunar month and lasts until the end of March. Going to Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey to the Buddhist Land where the Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life. Sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves are the main attractions at the festival, in addition to ceremonies to ask favours from Lord Buddha. Built in the late 17th century, Huong Pagoda has a large number of pagodas, temples and caverns filled with marvellous stalactites and stalagmites, about 60km from downtown Hanoi.

Giong Temple Festival in Hanoi is often held from the 6th day of the first lunar month to the 12th day of the forth lunar month to commemorate and honour the sacred feat of the legendary hero Saint Giong, one of four immortals in Vietnam’s religious beliefs. There are two typical Giong festivals in Hanoi including Giong Festival annually held in Soc Temple, Phu Linh commune, Soc Son district, and Giong Festival in Phu Dong Temple, Phu Dong commune, Gia Lam district, which was recognized as a world cultural immaterial heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

Traditionally, the people of eight villages belonging to six communes around Soc Temple take part in procession including incenses, flowers, betels and arecas, fighting elephants, bamboo flowers and king grass, which all demonstrate gratitude to Saint Giong and pride in the national tradition to fight foreign invaders and sporting spirit. The most special thing in the festival is offering of bamboo flowers. They are artificial flowers woven with bamboo laths with cotton dye in artificial colouring in one end which symbolize Saint Giong’s horse riding-whip.

Sinh Village Wrestling Festival in central city of Hue often take place on the 9th and 10th day of the first lunar month in Phu Mau commune, Phu Vang district.  Since the fifteenth century, villagers have held the event on the occasion of the lunar New Year to wish for luck, good health and bumper crops. The wrestling event is also an opportunity to choose the best wrestlers for the locality. To beat their opponents, wrestlers must put their enemy’s back on the floor.

Via Ba Festival in central province of Binh Dinh is often held on the 16th and 17th days of the first lunar month in Nhat Phong commune, An Nhon district. According to legend, there was a woman called Do Thi Tan living alone here three centuries ago. For her whole life, Tan worked as a midwife. She passed away on the 16th day of the first lunar month. To commemorate her credit, the local built a Ba Temple on the foundation of her old house.

Ba Den Temple Festival in Tay Ninh is held from the 10th to the 15th day of the first lunar month at the Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area in the southern province of Tay Ninh with a focus on traditional cultural activities.  Cultural and sports activities, folk games, and song and dance performances, among others, take place during the festival to entertain visitors.