From Kiep Bac Festival in Con Son to Buckwheat Flower Festival in Dong Van experience the local culture, history and traditions here.
Autumn is all about festivals and celebrations. The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated all throughout the country on the 14th and 15th day of the 8th lunar month to celebrate the harvest of the year. ItIt features a wide range of activities like children carrying paper lanterns, colorful lion dances, food booths selling sticky rice, mooncakes, fruits, and various sweets adorning the sideways.
For those looking for a special way to celebrate the spirit of this season, Booking.com has curated a list of 5 local festivals to make sure your experience is just as awesome and prosperous. Celebrated in autumn, these festivals are perfect for travelers looking to witness and absorb the history and culture of Vietnam for a soul-touching experience.
Hoi An – Mid-Autumn Festival
One place to truly enjoy the festival is the UNESCO listed ancient town of Hoi An. Travelers can witness plenty of street performances, lantern processions and art exhibitions as well the beautiful sight of colorful paper lanterns lining the Thu Bon Riverside and Japanese covered bridge. One will be overwhelmed from the first moment of getting lost in the tangle of light from thousands of lanterns. Make sure you won’t miss the opportunity to drop lanterns on the river of Hoi An to pray for your loved ones in this special season of celebrating and treasuring family reunion.
Where to stay: Located along Thu Bon River, 5 km away from Cua Dai Beach, Anantara Hoi An Resort features French colonial architecture and is a great place to relax and recharge, which is just a few step-away from Hoi An Old Street.
Hai Duong – Con Son – Kiep Bac Festival
From the 15th to 20th of the eighth lunar month annually, visitors from all over the country make a pilgrimage to the land of Con Son – Kiep Bac (Chi Linh town, Hai Duong province) to be immersed in the traditional ritual, which is preserved over the centuries. The ceremony takes place with the procession of solemn, drums and dragon dance. Memorial speech recalls the great contributions of Tran Quoc Tuan with 3 great victories of the war against the Mongol invaders. After a memorial procession on the Six Heads river (Song Luc Dau), the festival replays the battle by boat of the war against the Mongol invaders. This is a content of traditional ritual with historical victory at Con Son – Kiep Bac.
Where to stay: Travelers looking at visiting Con Son can enjoy a stay at the nearby Mandala Hotel & Spa. Located in Bac Ninh just an hour drive away, the hotel is surrounded by beautiful scenery and is known for its out of the world hospitality service.
Dong Van – Buckwheat flower (Tam Giac Mach) Festival
Buckwheat flower
Buckwheat flower season starts from the end of the ninth to the end of the tenth lunar month. During this time, a 3 day long festival will be organized in many districts (Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac) in the Dong Van province. The festival is to honor the unique culture’s value of Dong Van stone highland through the image of a triangle circuit flower. There are many interesting cultural activities during the festival such as exhibitions about the flower and products made from triangle circuit flowers, triangle circuit’s wine festival, etc. Also, this is an occasion for tourists to experience the characteristic entertainment of the ethnic people.
Where to stay: To fully immerse in the wild and untouched nature of the highland, Ma Le homestay offers the unique experience of staying in a 200-year-old traditional house of Giay peoples, built from wood and clay-mix-honey.
Ninh Thuan – Kate Festival
Another great festival that you can enjoy in autumn is known as Kate festival. This is the biggest and most crowded festival for Cham ethnic people in the Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan province. The festival is held on the first day of the seventh month of the Cham calendar and normally lasts for 3 days to show gratitude towards national heroes, ancestors, kings and gods of Cham people. People are known to participate in the event wearing traditional dresses, singing traditional songs along with dancing according to the tune. The variety of colors, enthralling music and mesmerizing dance show are enough to make you fall in love with the land’s culture.
Where to stay: Travelers looking to enjoy the beach vibe when visiting Binh Thuan can book their stay at the Hon Co Resort and enjoy the resort’s private and beautiful beach during the holiday.
Nam Dinh – Keo Pagoda Festival
Keo Pagoda Festival
Keo pagoda, located in Nam Dinh province, is the most ancient pagoda in Vietnam with 400-year-old architecture. During the 8th to 16th day of the ninth lunar month, there is a festival to mark the birthday of Duong Khong Lo, who was a Buddist sage that reached nirvana. The festival consists of events like boat races, literary recitations and trumpet and drum competitions. Being a part of this event can truly be a unique experience.
Where to stay: Only 30km away from Ninh Binh, Nam Cuong Nam Dinh Hotel is located in the heart of Nam Dinh and is a great place to relax and recharge.
