The Yen Tu Festival, one of the country's most famous spring festivals,opened on February 28 in Thuong Yen Cong commune, Uong Bi city, northernQuang Ninh province.
The festival is traditionally held on the 10th day of the Lunar New Year and runs until the end of the third lunar month.
BuiThi Kim Thuy, deputy head of the Yen Tu Relic and National ForestManagement Board, said that this year's event will feature several newhighlights, including hot-air balloon rides over the area.
Thenew service, launched by the Hanoi-based Chien Thang Company, costs200,000 VND (9 USD) for adults and 100,000 VND for children. Eachballoon can carry three adults and six children (equivalent to 500kg).Tourists will receive safety instructions before they take a ride.
"We hope it will be an interesting experience and attract more tourists," Thuy said.
Thefestival opening also included the hoisting of a 25.5m-long and20m-wide Buddhist flag, which will fly between the peaks of Chua andGiai Oan mountains.
Known as the country's biggest Buddhist flag,it will fly for 10 days displaying five colours that represent thesolidarity and unity of Buddhism across five continents.
Anotherhighlight will be a photo exhibition depicting the area taken by veteranartist Do Giang, who is known for his aerial pictures of Ha Long Bay.
A spring flowers festival was opened on the day to add more colour to the event.
Asa prelude to the festival, a ritual was held to officially open theforest in Yen Tu on February 27, along with a variety of folk games.
The roads to Yen Tu are already packed with pilgrims and tourists, who are eager to greet the start of the festival today.
This has led to traffic jams on several sections of the routesleading to Yen Tu Mountain and Hoa Yen Pagoda, where part of thefestival is being held.
Yen Tu has been considered one of thecountry's Buddhist hubs since Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third kingof the Tran Dynasty, founded "Thien Truc Lam Yen Tu", Vietnam'shallmark Buddhist meditation sect.
The king and his twosuccessors built hundreds of pagodas and shrines throughout the Yen Tucomplex, including famous structures which boast thousands of prizedstatues and artefacts.
Provincial authorities started preparing adossier for UNESCO recognition of the complex as a World Heritage Sitein December last year.
The area has a beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with the surrounding ancient pagodas and heritages.
YenTu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September2012, and has been declared one of the 10 most attractive spiritualdestinations in Vietnam by the Vietnam Records Organisation.
The area received nearly 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday.
This year's Yen Tu Festival is expected to receive over two million visitors, including 2,500 Buddhist pilgrims.-VNA
The festival is traditionally held on the 10th day of the Lunar New Year and runs until the end of the third lunar month.
BuiThi Kim Thuy, deputy head of the Yen Tu Relic and National ForestManagement Board, said that this year's event will feature several newhighlights, including hot-air balloon rides over the area.
Thenew service, launched by the Hanoi-based Chien Thang Company, costs200,000 VND (9 USD) for adults and 100,000 VND for children. Eachballoon can carry three adults and six children (equivalent to 500kg).Tourists will receive safety instructions before they take a ride.
"We hope it will be an interesting experience and attract more tourists," Thuy said.
Thefestival opening also included the hoisting of a 25.5m-long and20m-wide Buddhist flag, which will fly between the peaks of Chua andGiai Oan mountains.
Known as the country's biggest Buddhist flag,it will fly for 10 days displaying five colours that represent thesolidarity and unity of Buddhism across five continents.
Anotherhighlight will be a photo exhibition depicting the area taken by veteranartist Do Giang, who is known for his aerial pictures of Ha Long Bay.
A spring flowers festival was opened on the day to add more colour to the event.
Asa prelude to the festival, a ritual was held to officially open theforest in Yen Tu on February 27, along with a variety of folk games.
The roads to Yen Tu are already packed with pilgrims and tourists, who are eager to greet the start of the festival today.
This has led to traffic jams on several sections of the routesleading to Yen Tu Mountain and Hoa Yen Pagoda, where part of thefestival is being held.
Yen Tu has been considered one of thecountry's Buddhist hubs since Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third kingof the Tran Dynasty, founded "Thien Truc Lam Yen Tu", Vietnam'shallmark Buddhist meditation sect.
The king and his twosuccessors built hundreds of pagodas and shrines throughout the Yen Tucomplex, including famous structures which boast thousands of prizedstatues and artefacts.
Provincial authorities started preparing adossier for UNESCO recognition of the complex as a World Heritage Sitein December last year.
The area has a beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with the surrounding ancient pagodas and heritages.
YenTu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September2012, and has been declared one of the 10 most attractive spiritualdestinations in Vietnam by the Vietnam Records Organisation.
The area received nearly 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday.
This year's Yen Tu Festival is expected to receive over two million visitors, including 2,500 Buddhist pilgrims.-VNA
