Festivals in Vietnam after Tet holiday

In Vietnamese beliefs, Lunar Tet is the most important festival that gives time for their family and friends, and future plan. Tet is also an occasion for various festivals held over country.  Whole country is covered by colorful flowers, flags and many unceasing crowd together with the sound of traditional instrument and music. All of them make a special picture of Tet holiday in Viet Nam.

Moreover, you couldn’t miss these typical festivals when visiting Viet Nam in spring time.

1. Huong Pagoda Festival

Firstly, it is a mistake if you neglect one of largest spring festival in Viet Nam, Huong pagoda festival. Organized at Huong Son mountainous, My Duc district, city of Ha Noi from 6^th January lunar calendar to the end of spring, and peak time is on the last half of January , lunar calendar. During the festival, Visitors and pilgrim sit on rowing boat through the Yen Vi stream to Duc berth, what make a beautiful spectacle when viewing at the high place.
Like many festivals and celebrations, this festival is divided into 2 parts

2. Lim Festival

Following Huong pagoda festival, the next special celebration is Lim festival held in Lim hill, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province. This festival is held annually from12th to 14^th January in Lunar calendar, it attracts many visitors participate in. The ceremony open with many traditional rituals, such as incense-offering liturgy expresses gratitude and respect of the locals to the Lim festival’s founder , and is also an occasion to remember the origin of Lim Festival as well. After ceremony, “ Quan ho” singing performance, which is expected most in festival, begins with many handclaps of audience. On this performance, singers in couple will sing “ Quan ho” folk song, female singers (called “lien chi” in Vietnamese) are beautiful in “ao tu than” (four-panel traditional dress) and “quai thao” hat, male singers (called “lien anh” in Vietnamese) are elegant in “ao the” and “khan xep”. They sing love duets together on a dragon boat at the middle of a lake in front of Lim Communal House. Besides “ Quan ho” singing performance, tourist also can experience many folk games with locals like wrestling, rice cooking competition, human chess, tug of war.

      3. Cau Ngu festival in Thua thien Hue province.

In the central of Vietnam, people think that Cau Ngu is one of most important festival of the fishermen in lunar New Year. This is held annually at Thai Duong Ha village, Thuan An town, Thua Thien Hue province from 10^th to 12^th January in lunar calendar in order to expressing gratitude and respect of this village’s founder, Truong Quy Ong, who touch villagers to fish and trade . As usual, the first part of festival is ceremonies that appreciate many traditional morality and solemnity. The host man, representatives for all villagers, stands in the temple and prays for peaceful fishing season, bumper harvest. After that, series of offshore fishing ship departure at the same time and bring villager’s hopes and dreams in New Year. Parallel with above activity, the countrymen also celebrate many entertainment games. Tourist can catch the scenery of pushing off, daily living of Thai Duong Ha people and many beautifully coastal landscapes, too.

     4. Dong Da festival, Binh Dinh province

To admire the King that founded the Tay Son dynasty, Quang Trung- Nguyen Hue, and Ngoc Hoi- Dong Da victory against Thanh enemy, Dong Da festival is celebrated annually that starts in 4^th and finishes in 5^th January in Lunar calendar. Many typical features like instruments, elephants, and people are used to draw a magnificent picture of festival when the ceremony is carried on. Next part of this festival is expected more; the visitors could watch and experience many exciting performances from the local people. The recreation of battle scene, a lot of gorgeous combinations of martial art and music with the folk games will make tourists feel voyeuristic and satisfied. Because Binh Dinh is a birthplace of many types of martial arts, the performances will be carried on by masters of any schools such as Hung ke quyen, Ngoc tran quyen.

     5. Ba Den Mountain Festival

Bà Đen Mountain Historical, Cultural and Tourism Relic Site is located on Ba Mountain, Tay Ninh city and it takes over 2 hours from the central of Ho Chi Minh City to this landscape. There is a huge annual festival in spring called Ba Den mountain festival begins from 4^th January to the end of spring time in lunar calendar. This spring festival attracts lots of visitors and pilgrim in order to pilgrimage and sightseeing the scenery. This festival also has 2 part ceremonies and entertainment activities. The ceremony consists of many sectors such as Moc Duc ritual (bathing statue), Trinh thap cung (offering ten different fruits, flower and foods). Besides the purpose of paying respect to Buddha and Saints, visitors arrives this place with the aim of sightseeing, too. Located on high beautiful mountain (about 936m above sea level) with the complex of temples and pagodas, near Dau Tieng Lake, this festival is also an ideal mark for visitors like mountain climbing and hiking.