Yen Tu Spring Festival draws crowds on opening day
The Yen Tu Spring Festival in the northern province of Quang Ninh attracted nearly 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors on its opening day (February 7).
At the opening ceremony of the Yen Tu Spring Festival on February 7 (Photo: VNA)
Quang Ninh (VNA) –🎀 The Yen Tu Spring Festival opened in Uong Bi city, the northern province of Quang Ninh on February 7, the tenth day of the first lunar month, drawing nearly 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors.
A highlight of this year's festival is the grandest-ever procession ritual, featuring 11 palanquin teams from the city and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Quang Ninh province chapter.
At the opening ceremony, Chairman of the city People’s Committee Pham Tuan Dat stated that the nomination dossier for the “Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Monument and Landscape Complex, prepared by Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, and Hai Duong provinces, was officially accepted by UNESCO for review on January 26, 2024. He added that experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) who conducted the on-site assessment last year praised the Yen Tu monuments as iconic cultural entities.
He described those as crucial steps towards establishing Yen Tu as a world heritage site, laying stress on the need to preserve the cultural treasures for future generations while leveraging them for sustainable tourism development.
The event featured drum performances and bell-ringing rituals and ceremonies praying for national prosperity.
Both Vietnamese and international visitors shared their impressions on the traditional festival. Do Ha Linh, a Vietnamese student studying in China, attended the festival for the third time, noting each visit helped her gain better insight into the spiritual culture of the complex. Meanwhile, Christian Veenman, a first-time visitor with a passion for Buddhist culture, expressed amazement at the grandeur and antiquity of the pagoda system.
The annual Yen Tu Spring Festival, opened on the tenth day of the first lunar month, represents a cherished Vietnamese cultural tradition, embodying the principle of remembering one's roots while preserving and sharing the timeless values inherited from previous generations.
Yen Tu Mountain is closely attached with the name of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third King of the Tran Dynasty, who defeated Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.
The King abdicated when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practicing and popularising Buddhism. He founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong” or Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain. The 20,000ha site is considered the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism.
Yen Tu was recognised as a special national relic site in 2013. It is home to dozens of pagodas, hundreds of towers and thousands of ancient relics containing the spiritual values and thoughts of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect and the glorious culture of the Dai Viet period./.
Yen Tu, nestled in the northern province of Quang Ninh, annually beckons around 1 million pilgrims seeking to immerse themselves in its sacred Buddhist ambiance, spurring the emergence of services catering to those looking for a deeper connection to unique heritage.
Nearly 500 artifacts and images of ancient pagodas and towers are on display at an exhibition that recently opened in the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex in the northern province of Bac Giang.
The Yen Tu Spring Festival, one of the largest and longest festival in the north, kicks off in Uong Bi city of the northern province of Quang Ninh on February 19, or the 10th day of the first lunar month.
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.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
