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Traditional festivals are a unique cultural form, a spiritual product of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, passed down through generations. Festival events are akin to a living museum showcasing the distinctive cultures, habits and lives of every ethnic community and location.
Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi. Source: VnTrip.vn
This is also an occasion to honor and give thanks to national heroes who have benefited the nation and the community. Explore the article below to learn about the Top 5 Most Famous Festivals in Northern Vietnam with Asia King Travel.
When Tet rolls around each year, locals and visitors alike swarm to this festival to offer prayers for their families' well-being as well as for a happy and joyous new year. Every year, the Truc Lam Yen Tu Cultural Center in Thuong Yen Cong Commune, Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province, hosts Yen Tu Festival. The festival is a massive early-year celebration that draws plenty of people.
Yen Tu Pagoda Festival to pray for a peaceful new year. Source: Ky Nghi Dong Duong
Every year, for three months during the spring, this festival is typically held from the tenth day of January lunar month to the end of March. Travelers are taking this opportunity to separate themselves from the mundane world and journey to the country of Buddha in the middle of breathtaking scenery.
Yen Tu Mountain is a relic area with up to 11 pagodas and hundreds of hermitages hidden behind white clouds. It also features Buddha sculptures, towers, hermitages, and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and forests. There are woodlands and streams throughout the route, which provide a serene and cozy appeal. Maybe that's why kings consider this location to be the most famous mountain in our nation.
The ceremony of Yen Tu Festival is an opportunity for the community to show solidarity and honor spiritual values. Source: VinWonders
Yen Tu Pagoda is considered the ancestral land of Buddhism in Vietnam during the Dai Viet period. Specifically, after King Tran Nhan Tong abdicated the throne, he came here to practice and founded the Truc Lam Zen sect - a unique Buddhist sect of Vietnam. As a result, the pagoda comes alive with celebrations in the early spring to commemorate the virtues of Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong.
Hung Temple Festival is a significant national cultural occasion. This festival serves as a chance for individuals to get together with friends and family after busy working days in addition to honoring the achievements of the Hung Kings.
Three-entrance gate at Hung Temple. Source: VinWonders
Every year, People's Committee of Phu Tho Province hosts the festival, also known as Hung Kings' Death Anniversary, at Hung Temple, which is situated on Nghia Linh Mountain in Co Tich Village, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province.
The lunar calendar dates for the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary are March 1st - March 10th lunar year. Phu Tho will host several unique events and activities during this period to greet guests from near and far. The purpose of commemorating the anniversary is to instill a sense of patriotism and appreciation towards the kings and the ancestors who founded and guarded the nation.
Hung Temple Festival - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognized by UNESCO. Source: VinWonders
The celebration also helps to spread awareness of the value of maintaining national unity and the ancient ethic of "When drinking water, remember its source." Additionally, the anniversary of the Hung Kings' demise is a chance to advance cultural heritage initiatives linked to the growth of Vietnam's tourism industry generally and Phu Tho Province in particular.
Huong Pagoda Festival takes place in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Hanoi, which is considered a sacred Buddhist land worshiping Quan Am Buddha. The pagoda has a Buddhist ritual, however, this festival is unique from others since it is attended by Buddhists as well as tourists from across the globe who come to visit the pagoda.
Huong Pagoda in the early morning sunlight. Source: Vigotrip
Join the pilgrims making their way back to the land of the Buddha to experience the vastness of the sky, clouds, mountains and water. Let your mind wander and let go of all your cares as you stroll along the lyrical and poetic Yen Stream and discover the traditional beauty that has been preserved in the Vietnamese people's culture for a long time.
The festival is held annually beginning on the 6th January lunar calendar and ending at the end of March lunar month. With several well-known tourist attractions in the Huong Son picturesque area, including Huong Tich Cave, Trinh Temple, Thien Tru Pagoda, Tien Son Cave,etc. The busiest season is from the 15th January lunar month to the 18th February lunar month.
Huong Pagoda Festival Opening Ceremony in Spring 2024. Source: Vietjet Air
The festival officially opens on the 6th of January lunar month, but people from all over the nation have been going since the second day. They come for two reasons: first, to pray for luck and fortune in the upcoming year and second, to avoid having to stand in line during the festival days as this is one of the largest festivals in Vietnam, drawing millions of people each time.
Read more: Perfume Pagoda Tour 1 day: Perfume Pagoda exploration
This festival is often held in Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province. Lim Festival, which takes place on January 12th and 13th, every year, is the culmination of Kinh Bac Land's traditional culture. The 13th is the primary celebration day when there are parades, worship of the local guardian spirits, the female national heroes at Co Lung Temple, Hong Van Mausoleum, Duke Do Nguyen Thuy Mausoleum and incense offerings to Buddha.
Sweet Quan Ho tunes are played at the festival in observance of the North's intangible cultural heritage. Because Quan Ho cultural events are very appealing in addition to arranging folk games, this festival used to be known as Quan Ho Festival. In addition to being a place for love-making, Lim Festival aids in Bac Ninh Quan Ho's recognition as a part of humanity's intangible cultural heritage.
Quan Ho singing on a boat at Lim Festival. Source: toquoc
When visiting this occasion in the early spring, guests may take in the vibrant atmosphere of the event by participating in traditional sports like martial arts, swings, rice cooking, and other activities, as well as listening to incredibly beautiful and distinctive love songs.
Nam Dinh Province's Tran Temple Seal Opening is often conducted at Nam Dinh City. Every year, on January 13th to 15th, the seal opening festival is held over three days, with the major seal opening ceremony being on the 14th.
Three-entrance gate of Tran Temple. Source: Huong Anh Tourist
Vietnam celebrates this well-known spring holiday in remembrance of the Tran Kings' virtues. Three ceremonies comprise the seal opening ceremony: the giving of incense, the seal procession and the seal opening at Tien Mieu, the seat of the Tran Dynasty.
In recent years, Tran Temple Spring Festival has drawn large numbers of people from all across the nation who come to pray for a prosperous and fruitful new year while burning incense at the start of the year. The event also offers a ton of thrilling customs including lion and dragon dances as well as Cheo singing.
Ngoc Lo palanquin procession has spiritual significance. Source: CafeBiz
All of the rites performed at the temple have long kept the national customs, emulating a heroic era in the history of the country. The historical material is presented vividly and profoundly, fostering and fostering a sense of patriotism, an unwavering will to resist foreign invaders, and a consciousness of the source of all Vietnamese water.
Vietnam has several festivals each year in various locations in addition to the ones mentioned above. Each regions have various customs and among them is the spiritual significance of festivals, which serve as a means for the populace to express thanks to the gods and heroes who have made significant contributions to the country. To arrange your travels and start learning about Vietnamese history and culture, get in touch with Asia King Travel.
Read more: Northern Vietnam Tour 10 days: In-Depth Discovery
