For generations of Vietnamese people, spring has been regarded as the season of festivals. It embodies a convergence of the nation’s enduring traditional values, providing an occasion for people to reconnect with their roots, strengthen community bonds, and preserve and promote distinctive cultural customs and heritage. Early-spring festivals are a vivid expression of this rich traditional culture.
Dong (Bronze) Pagoda is tourists' favorite destination on their pilgrim to Yen Tu
According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Viet Nam currently has nearly 8,000 festivals nationwide, more than 7,000 of which are traditional. While festivals take place throughout the year, the majority are held in the early spring. Featuring distinctive religious, cultural and artistic activities alongside traditional folk games, these festivals play an important role in preserving and promoting of cultural heritage, while also creating attractive highlights that draw visitors from across the country at the beginning of the year
In harmony with the broader cultural flow of the nation, many traditional festivals in Quang Ninh, such as communal house festivals, temple and pagoda festivals, and village festivals are also held in early spring. Notable examples include the Tien Cong Festival (the seventh day of the first lunar month), the Yen Tu Festival (the tenth day of the first lunar month), the Luc Na Communal House Festival (the sixteenth day of the first lunar month), Cua Ong Temple Festival (the first day of the second lunar month)... Each festival carries its own distinctive identity. The Yen Tu Festival, though while rooted in Buddhist practice, has grown far beyond the scope of a conventional religious event. Pilgrims and visitors coming to Yen Tu in spring not only seek a spiritual tranquillity and and enjoy the natural scenery, but also to learn more about King-Buddha Tran Nhan Tong, whose legacy is closely associated with the founding of the Truc Lam Zen sect. Lasting throughout the three spring months, the Yen Tu Festival is the longest-running festival of the year in Quang Ninh..
The Tien Cong Festival is known as a “people procession” festival, where descendants express filial piety and gratitude to their ancestors
The Tien Cong Festival is known as a “people procession” festival, where descendants express filial piety and gratitude to their ancestors who reclaimed land from the sea and built dykes, laying the foundation for the prosperous Ha Nam island area today. Meanwhile, the Luc Na Communal House Festival not only commemorates Duc Ong Hoang Can, the village tutelary deity who contributed to defending the country, but also serves as a cultural gathering point for Dao, Tay and San Chi ethnic communities in the border areas. Influenced by wet-rice civilisation, the Lang Da Communal House Festival, in addition to its ceremonial rites, features rituals such as digging holes and sowing seeds, reflecting hopes for favourable weather and abundant harvests in the new year.
In recent years, alongside the preservation and restoration of historical relics, Quang Ninh province and its localities have placed greater emphasis on reviving traditional festivals, with particular attention to restoring their core cultural values. As a result, spring festivals are no longer merely occasions for early-year celebration, but also carry profound spiritual meaning. Traditional festivals invariably include ceremonial rites imbued with local cultural identity, expressing aspirations for harmony between heaven and earth, favourable harvests, community solidarity and sustainable development. In the festive section many traditional customs and folk games have also been preserved, such as human chess, blindfolded duck catching, tug of war, stick pushing, stilt walking, spinning tops…
By Dai Duong