Secretary of the Lao Cai provincial Party Committee Giang Thi Dung beat the ceremonial drum to officially open the festival (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) 🎶– A large number of cultural festivals took place across Vietnam on February 12, the first full moon in the Year of the Snake, celebrating patriotism, fostering community spirit, and promoting local tourism.
Lao Cai’s Thuong Temple Festival opens
Thousands of residents and tourists gathered beneath a 300-year-old banyan tree in Lao Cai city, the northern province of Lao Cai, to witness the opening of the 2025 Thuong Temple Festival, an annual event held on the first full moon of the year.
The festival honours Tran Quoc Tuan, also known as Tran Hung Dao (1228–1300), a revered military grand commander and national hero. It also aims to pray for peace, prosperity, and bountiful harvests.
Chairman of the Lao Cai municipal People’s Committee Hoang Dang Khoa, also head of the organising committee, noted that the festival has grown from a local tradition into a significant cultural event for the province.
Secretary of the Lao Cai provincial Party Committee Giang Thi Dung beat the ceremonial drum to officially open the festival. Attendees then joined a grand palanquin procession to Thuong Temple to commemorate Tran Quoc Tuan and offer prayers.
Attendees join a grand palanquin procession to Thuong Temple to commemorate Tran Quoc Tuan and offer prayers. (Photo: VNA)
The three-day festival (February 10–12) features a range of artistic, cultural, and sport activities, including traditional games, a calligraphy programme, folk art performances, and a poetry night.
Thuong Temple, originally built during the Le Dynasty (1680–1705), was designated a national historical and cultural relic site in 1996. Its festival was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2016.
HCM City's first full moon festival brings traditional customs to life
The 2025 first full moon (Tet Nguyen Tieu) festival in Ho Chi Minh City was organised with various activities in District 5 on February 12 evening.
Hosted by the city’s Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the District 5 People’s Committee, the festival showcased the vibrant traditions of the city’s Chinese-Vietnamese community, including lion and dragon dances, folk music, photo and painting exhibitions, calligraphy demonstrations, and traditional games.
A major highlight was a street parade where more than 1,000 performers in traditional attire brought ancient customs to life.
Celebrated in District 5 for over 30 years, the first full moon festival of the local Chinese-origin people was named part of the national intangible cultural heritage in 2020 and has become one of the 19 outstanding annual cultural and artistic events in HCM City.
Kien Giang’s Tao Dan Chieu Anh Cac Festival celebrates literary heritage
In Ha Tien city, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, a music show was held at Tran Hau Park on February 12 to commemorate the 289th anniversary of the Tao Dan Chieu Anh Cac literary society.
An art performance at the Festival in Ha Tien, Kien Giang (Photo: VNA)
The event honoured Vietnam’s literary traditions and paid tribute to poets and scholars who helped shape the nation’s cultural heritage in the field of literature and arts, while also contributing to local tourism development.
Chairman of the Ha Tien municipal People’s Committee Mai Quoc Thang said people from far and wide gather at the Tao Dan Chieu Anh Cac Festival on the first full moon day each year to take part in literary and poetic activities. He described Ha Tien as a place of natural beauty and literary legacy.
The Tao Dan Chieu Anh Cac society, founded in 1736 by then Governor of Ha Tien Mac Thien Tich, played a crucial role in shaping the region’s literary landscape.
Many join the floating lantern releasing to pray for national peace and prosperity. (Photo: VNA)
Held annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the festival featured poetry recitals, calligraphy demonstrations, book and photo exhibitions, exchanges with writers and poets, and traditional performances. Visitors also took part in a display of local products, a float parade, a lantern release, and a ceremony honoring renowned poets of Ha Tien.
The annual festival aims to not only preserve this heritage but also promote sustainable cultural tourism in Ha Tien and beyond./.
Vietnamese Buddhists and expatriates arrived at Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane to offer incense, pray for peace and prosperity for both Vietnam and Laos, and wish for happiness and well-being in the new year.
The annual Nguyen Tieu Festival on the 15th of lunar January in Hoi An, central Quang Nam province, has been recognised as a National Intangible Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The ambassador noted that among the 300,000 Vietnamese residing in the RoK, around 3,000 are living in Pyeongtaek and contributing actively to the local economy. Ho expressed his hope that the local authorities will continue support the overseas Vietnamese community in the city.
This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
Vietnam’s cinematic appeal lies in its diverse settings, from terraced mountains and limestone karsts to bustling markets and ancient towns. Its mix of ethnic vibes, buzzing street life, and old traditions gives directors a goldmine for storytelling.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
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.
