Yến Stream is bustling with boats carrying visitors to celebrate the Hương Pagoda Festival. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — After celebrating the Lunar New Year (Tết) with family, many people like to start travelling on the third day of the holiday, with early-spring festivals being popular and meaningful spots to visit to start a new year.

Starting from the third day of Tết, locals and travellers from all over the country heading to the North can check out a variety of unique festivals in different areas to enjoy spring trips, go on pilgrimages, and experience the vibrant cultural traditions that are part of Việt Nam's rich heritage.

Đống Đa Mound Festival

Located in Hà Nội, the Đống Đa Mound Festival is a jubilant reenactment of Emperor Quang Trung’s historic victory over foreign invaders in 1789. Celebrated on the fifth day of Tết, the festival features a variety of vigorous games highlighting a strong spirit of martial tradition.

Hương Pagoda Festival

The Hương Pagoda Festival takes place from the sixth day of the Lunar New Year until the end of the third lunar month in Hương Sơn Commune, Hà Nội. This spiritual and cultural event attracts thousands of pilgrims seeking peace and prosperity. Here, visitors can also immerse themselves in the vast landscape of mountains and water by spending hours on boats admiring the poetic scenery. All make this place an ideal destination for sightseeing and spiritual reflection.

Tản Viên Sơn Thánh Festival

The annual festival is held to commemorate Tản Viên Sơn Thánh (the Saint of Tản Mountain), one of the “Four Immortals” in traditional Vietnamese mythology who is revered for pioneering land reclamation, flood control, and teaching agriculture to the people. The Tản Viên Sơn Thánh worship practice was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

The main festival day is the 14th day of the first lunar month. Main rituals are performed at the Hạ (lower) Temple, a national historical and cultural relic site, along with incense offering at the Thượng (upper) and Trung (middle) temples in Ba Vì Commune, Hà Nội.

Đọi Sơn Ploughing Festival

Rooted in Việt Nam's agricultural heritage, the Đọi Sơn Ploughing Festival in Ninh Bình Province prays for favourable weather and bountiful harvests. Held from the fifth day to the seventh day of Tết, the tradition dates back to the 10th century and was revived in 2009 after years of dormancy. Visitors can witness ceremonial ploughing rituals and experience rural cultural activities.

The Đọi Sơn Ploughing Festival in Ninh Bình Province prays for favourable weather and bountiful harvests. — VNA/VNS Photo

Gióng Temple Festival

The Gióng Temple Festival in Sóc Sơn Commune, Hà Nội, commemorates Saint Gióng, a mythical hero who defeated foreign invaders before ascending to heaven. Inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the three-day festival begins on the sixth day of Tết and includes sacred rituals, processions, and the offering of symbolic bamboo flowers at Thượng Temple. The seventh day is believed to mark Saint Gióng’s deification.

Viềng Market Festival

At midnight on the seventh day of Tết, the Viềng Market Festival in Vụ Bản Commune, Ninh Bình Province, attracts thousands of visitors seeking good fortune for the year ahead. The event reflects a unique cultural tradition rooted in community belief and hope. On the following day, visitors often continue to the nearby Phủ Dầy Festival, dedicated to Princess Liễu Hạnh, one of the “Four Immortals” in Việt Nam's folk belief.

Yên Tử Spring Festival

The Yên Tử Spring Festival begins on the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasts until the end of the third lunar month. Visitors flock to Yên Tử in Quảng Ninh Province to make pilgrimages to Đồng (bronze) Pagoda atop the sacred mountain.

The festival also features associated events such as the Yên Tử Cherry Blossom and Yellow Apricot Festival, the Hang Son Temple and Pagoda Festival, and the Ba Vàng Pagoda Spring Festival.

Lim Festival

The Lim Festival is a major cultural event in Tiên Du Commune, Bắc Ninh Province, with its main day held annually on the 13th day of the first lunar month. It derived from pagoda fairs and folk singing gatherings.

During the festival, a wide range of traditional folk games are organised, including martial arts performances, wrestling, chess, swing riding, loom weaving, and rice-cooking competitions. The highlight of the festival is performances of quan họ (love duet) Bắc Ninh folk songs, included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Trần Temple Seal-Opening Festival

Held at the Trần Temple complex in Ninh Bình Province, the Trần Temple Seal-Opening Festival is among the largest spring festivals in the country, taking place from the 11th day to the 16th day of the first lunar month.

In addition to the seal-bestowing ceremony held at midnight on the 14th day and early on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the festival features lion and dragon dances, chèo (traditional opera), chầu văn (ceremonial singing), human chess, and wrestling, among others.

The seal-opening ritual reflects a humane cultural practice in which the king offered sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors to express gratitude. It also symbolises the end of the Tết holiday and the return to work. In recent years, the number of people attending the festival has increased. They come to pray for success and prosperity in the New Year.

Bà Chúa Kho Festival

The Bà Chúa Kho Festival is organised on the 14th day of the first lunar month, but from the start of the year, Bà Chúa Kho Temple in Vũ Ninh Ward, Bắc Ninh Province, draws large crowds of visitors seeking good fortune. Many businesspeople come early in the year, hoping for blessings that will bring smooth and successful business ventures.

Through these traditional early-year festivals in northern Việt Nam, residents and visitors can explore distinctive cultural values and participate in festive activities, fostering deeper appreciation of the nation’s rich cultural heritage and identity. — VNA/VNS