The Hùng Kings Temple Festival commemorates the first king of Vietnam. King Vương is legendary and his origin story is celebrated every year in either April or May as a testament of Vietnam’s epic history. To join the festival, travel to the Hùng Temple in Việt Trì City, where you can witness hundreds of lanterns set aloft into the sky on the eve of the festival. The day of the festival, watch as processions of pilgrims make their way up the mountain.

 

The beautiful valley of Mai Châu is the scene of the Xến Xó Phốn festival between April and May each year. The festival belongs to the calendars of the White Thai people, a minority group and is essentially a ritual to call for rain. This is done with a variety of songs and offerings made throughout the village. Local lore states that the bigger the festival, the heavier the rains and the more prosperous the harvest.

 

The Vietnamese believe that on one day in late August or early September, the spirits of ancestors return to visit their earthly homes. This moment where the spirit realm opens is at time to pay respects to the dead. The night before Wandering Souls Day families will offer prayers, flowers and fruits at the graves of their ancestors. Paper money and clothes are burned for spirits to use in the afterlife. 

The Ghost Festival is on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

Sept. 2, 1945 was the day Ho Chi Minh declared the Independence of the Nation of Vietnam from France in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square. This annual celebration commemorates that historic moment with patriotic displays and flags adorning alleyways throughout Vietnam. Major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City hold parades during the day and light fireworks at night. Everyone is out in the streets celebrating, and travellers are welcome to enjoy the festivities too.

Vietnamese Independence Day is on September 2.

In early December, the Khmer living in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam stage a lively festival known as Oóc Om Bóc. Celebrated in Sóc Trăng province, where Khmer culture is everywhere, this festival offers an incredible glimpse into Vietnam’s diversity. Look out for activities thanking the moon god for the year’s harvest, as well as feasting, singing and dancing. Crowds of thousands gather for the festival’s highlight: A thrilling ‘Ngo’ boat race.

Oóc Om Bóc is marked on the night of the 14th day of the 10th lunar month.

Perfume Festival draws throngs of local pilgrims from all over Vietnam to Hanoi’s iconic Perfume Pagoda, where they to pray for a prosperous year and pay their respects to Buddha. The pilgrimage starts with a dragon dance at Den Trinh Pagoda on the 15th day of the 1st Lunar, where pilgrims (and even travellers) travel by boat along the Yen River to the base of Huong Mountain, passing by limestone caves and rice fields. The journey continues on foot by climbing hundreds of stone steps towards Huong Tich Cave, offering a colourful display of food offerings, statues of deities, lit incenses, and praying locals.
 

Mid-Autumn Festival, held on the 14th and 15th day of the lunar month, features a wide range of activities such as children carrying paper lanterns, lion dances, and food booths selling mooncakes, sticky rice, fruits, and various sweets. Also known as the harvest festival, households set up an altar during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, on which they display offerings in honour of the full moon.
 

Hung King Temple Festival is held in commemoration of Kinh Duong Vuong, who became Vietnam’s first king in 2879BC. While the main worship event takes place at the Hung Temple, which is perched atop Nghia Linh Mountain in Phu Tho Province, 100 lanterns are released into the sky on the eve of the festival. The next morning, a flower ceremony is held at Den Thuong (Upper Temple), where the Hung Kings used to worship deities during their reign. Lastly, a huge procession starts at the foot of the mountain, consisting of pilgrims, xoan classical song performances, and ca tru classical operas at several temples along the way towards the main Hung Temple.
 

Lim Festival is where you can enjoy UNESCO-listed quan ho folk singing performances and a wide range of traditional games during your visit. Held on the 12th and 13th day of the first lunar month, several stages are built within the village where you get to see locals performing in traditional costumes. We highly recommend heading over to the lake outside the Lim Communal House to catch quan ho singing performance on a dragon boat. Lim Festival also hosts folk games such as danh du (bamboo swings), cockfighting, tug-of-war, wrestling, human chess, and blind man’s bluff.
 

The annual Wandering Souls Day takes place on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, which locals believe is the day when spirits of their ancestors are able to visit their homes. On the eve of the festival, families flock to Buddhist temples and graves of their departed loved ones to offer prayers, flowers, sticky rice cakes, sugarcane, and fruits. Paper money and clothes are also burned during this time of the year.