Thousands of Buddhist followers and tourists nationwide flock to the Huong Son landscape complex in Hanoi to join the Huong Pagoda Festival. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) ⛄– A series of large-scale spring festivals kicked off on February 15 (the sixth day of the first lunar month) in many northern localities.
Thousands of Buddhist followersand tourists nationwide flocked to the Huong Son landscape complex in Huong Soncommune, Hanoi's outlying district of My Duc, on the day to join the HuongPagoda Festival, the longest of its kind in Vietnam which takes placefrom the 6th day of the first lunar month to the third lunar month every year.
The Huong Son landscape complex has welcomed over 100,000 visitors sincethe third day of the first lunar month.
Going to the Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey to the Buddhist Land – wherethe Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life. Visitors have sightseeing trips topagodas, temples and caves and join ceremonies to ask for favour from Lord Buddha.
An art performance programme within the framework of the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival (Photo: VNA)
The UNESCO-recognised Giongfestival also officially opened on the day. It is held annually betweenthe seventh and ninth day of the first lunar month to commemorate Saint Giong,a local hero who sacrificed his life to defeat invaders. It is celebrated withprocessions, rituals, and performances.
In 2010, UNESCOrecognised Vietnam’s Giong festival held at Phu Dong Temple and at Soc Templein Hanoi’s Soc Son district as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
🧸 The opening of the BaiDinh Pagoda Festival began activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Trang An Landscape Complex in the northern province of Ninh Binh, recognised as a WorldCultural and Natural Heritage Site.
The 1,984th anniversary of the Hai Ba Trung (Trung Sisters) Uprising was celebrated at a ceremony at the Hai Ba Trung Temple special national relic site in Hanoi's Me Linh district on the same day evening. The Hai Ba Trung Festival 2024 kicked off on the occasion./.
The Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring Festival opened at Con Son-Kiep Bac special national relic site in Chi Linh city, the northern province of Hai Duong on February 6, along with a ceremony to commemorate the 689th death anniversary of Huyen Quang - the third progenitor of the Truc Lam Zen sect.
The Tay Yen Tu (West Yen Tu) Spring Festival and the Culture - Tourism Week 2023 of the northern province of Bac Giang took place at the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex from February 2 – 6.
Going to festivals at the beginning of the year is a long-standing tradition of Vietnamese people. It is also a occasion for people to spend time with their families and friends while praying for luck and good things for the new year.
The Huong Pagoda Festival, the longest of its kind in Vietnam, is set to open in Huong Son commune, Hanoi’s outlying district of My Duc, on February 11 (the second day of the lunar new year) and last until May 1.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Thousands of Buddhist followers and tourists nationwide flock to the Huong Son landscape complex in Hanoi to join the Huong Pagoda Festival. (Photo: VNA) 
An art performance programme within the framework of the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival (Photo: VNA) 
