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Must-see spring festivals in Vietnam during first lunar month

VOV.VN - Traditional spring festivals which are mostly celebrated either during or after the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) attract large crowds who come to wish for good health, wealth, and luck throughout the year.

The traditional bull fighting festival in the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien is held annually on the second day of the Lunar New Year. It is a unique cultural event, drawing tens of thousands of spectators. Dozens of bulls compete in thrilling matches, showcasing their strength and skills throughout the competition.

The Dong Ky firecracker procession festival is organised in Tu Son city of northern Bac Ninh province on the fourth day of the first lunar month. The procession is an integral part of the traditional festival of Dong Ky Village, where locals express their respect for their ancestors and pray for health, peace, and good fortune for the community.

The Âm Dương (Yin-Yang) Market can be found in O village in the northern province of Bac Ninh, a gateway to Hanoi, that meets once a year at night. Local people believe that this is a place where the living and the dead can symbolically meet, deeply reflecting the local folk beliefs and spiritual culture. The market takes place annually from the night of the fourth to the early morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

A festival featuring the age-old sport of “vật cầu”, a game which involves men wrestling over a ball, is held in Hanoi’s Thuy Linh village on the sixth day of the first lunar month. The ball weighs approximately 20kg, with the pitch being set out with holes in each corner. The player’s task is to push the ball into one of the opposing team’s holes. (Photo: vtcnews.vn)

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, local people from Thi Cam village in Hanoi’s Tu Liem district take part in a traditional rice cooking contest to pray for a prosperous, happy, and peaceful new year. During the rice cooking contest, competitors form four groups and have to husk rice, fetch water, make a fire, and cook rice. A jury comprising of respected village chiefs then selects the winners of the contest.

The Long Tong (Going to the field) festival of the Tay ethnic group is held on the eighth day of the first lunar month in the northwestern mountainous province of Ha Giang. The person chosen to perform the plowing ritual is a prestigious man from the community who has a happy family and is the most skillful at plowing. The festival also includes many folk games, a plowing competition, and performances of traditional Then singing. (Photo: Quang Cuong/VNA)

Cầu Ngư, also known as the whale worshipping festival, is the most significant annual event among local fishermen, that gets underway from the 14th to the 16th days of the first lunar month in the central coastal city of Da Nang. The traditional festival includes several activities such as a whale worshiping ritual, a peace-praying ceremony, and other cultural and sporting functions. During the ceremony, fishermen pray for rich hauls of fish, safe voyages, and peace for the nation as a whole.

The annual Nguyen Tieu festival celebrates the full moon of the first lunar month of the year, which has been recognized as a national intangible heritage. On this occasion, all temples, pagodas, as well as families, organise a worship ceremony to pray for peace and fortune in the Lunar New Year. (Photo: VNA)

The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival opens on the fourth day of the first lunar month at the Ba Den mountain historical, cultural, and tourism relic site in Tay Ninh province. Performances highlighting the Khmer people’s culture and art are presented during the festival.

A street art parade combined with dragon lion and circus performances is the main activity of the Lantern Festival of the Chinese-Vietnamese community in Ho Chi Minh City which is organised on the 15th day of the first lunar month. During the festival, Vietnamese - Chinese people often go to pagodas and temples to pray for a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous year.

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