Big festivals in the southern region
VGP – After Tet, festivals are held in all regions, from mountainous towns and rural areas to modern cities. It is a time for people not only to relax after a hard year of work, but also to remember their ancestors, national heroes, and Vietnamese legends.
It has become a tradition for many Vietnamese people, old and young, to participate in festivals to pray for a year full of health, luck, and prosperity.
Take a look at some of the most wanted festivals in the south that you must not miss during your next trip to this enchanting region.
However, due to the concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, festivals might be canceled or receive limit number of participants.
1. Ba Thien Hau (Lady Thien Hau) Pagoda Festival in Binh Duong
The Ba Thien Hau Pagoda Festival, held from 13th to 15th days of the first lunar month in Thu Dau Mot City, is the southern province's largest cultural festival.
People worship her in many places and praise her as a woman of virtue, filial piety, devotion, saving people and miraculous death upon death.
In the three days of festival, there are so many traditional and attractive performances of the Parade float, gong and drum shows.
On the last day, the Ba (Lady) palanquin procession goes throughout the city with unicorn, lion and dragon dances.
Pilgrims flock to the festival to pray for prosperity, good health and luck for the upcoming year.
The Ba Thien Hau Pagoda, built in ancient style in the middle of the 19th century, festival draws millions of visitors in the first lunar month every year.
2. Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival in Tay Ninh Province
Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival is held annually on the 18th and 19th day of the first lunar month in Ba Den Mountain, almost 10km from Tay Ninh City.
The festival is organised to worship Linh Son Saint Mother – Ba Den, asking for her protection and care to local residents. It is one of the largest festivals in the South of Viet Nam.
The 986m mountain, the highest in the region, received nearly one million pilgrims and tourists in 2020, up 50 per cent year on year.
People go there for religious reasons as well as for sightseeing. The festival is a chance in which the younger generations can socialize and learn about the older generations.
During the festival, they enjoy activities including movie screenings, art performances, folk games and many attractive programs imbued with national cultural identity.
3. Dinh Co Festival in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province
Dinh Co Festival in Long Hai Town, Long Dien District is an annual festival that takes place from the 10th to 12th of the second lunar month.
It is considered the largest festival in the Southern coastal region, worshipping Co, a young lady, who had merit helping fishermen overcome accidences and have a peaceful and comfortable life.
On the festival days, Dinh Co is colorfully decorated with lanterns and flowers. Each house in the town puts an incense-table. Boats and ships of fishing villages in Long Hai, Phuoc Hai, Phuoc Tinh, and Vung Tau park in the port and look at Dinh Co. They are hung lanterns and splendidly decorated.
Fishermen believed that the more beautiful their boats are, the more fish they harvest. They make the town a glorious bustling scene of lantern festival at night
Many locals and tourists come to Dinh Co to pray for the peaceful and lucky things for life, to travel and relax at Long Hai Beach with a lot of activities in the festival including tuong singing, lion dance, dragon dance and folk games such as catching fish, eels, and boat racing.
4. Elephan Racing Festival in Dak Lak Province
The Elephant Racing Festival is normally organised every two years in the third lunar month.
It usually take places in Don Village or in forests near the Sevepoi River. In preparation for the festive day, people take their elephants to places where they can eat their fill. Their food includes grass, bananas, papayas, sugar cane, corn, sweet potatoes. The elephants are free from hard work to preserve their strength.
On the race day, elephants from different villages gather at the racing area. The track is preferably wide enough for dozens of elephants to stand simultaneously in a line with a length of one to two kilometres.
After a signal, the elephants rush ahead, excited by the sound of the drums, gongs, and cheering from the spectators.
The winning elephant is given a laurel wreath and delicious food. Other elephants also receive sugarcane, banana, papayas, corn and sweet potatoes from visitors.
After this race, the elephants participate in the competition of swimming across the Serepok River, of tug-of-wars, or throwing balls and playing football.
The elephant race is the biggest festival in the Central Highlands. It honours the martial spirit of the M'nong ethnic people, who are very famous for their bravery, hunting and taming skills, and the elephants' talents.
The festival also marks the time to start cultivating the upland field. Local people will pray for the beginning of a good season, high yield, bring the village prosperity.
5. Ba Chua Xu Festival in An Giang Province
Ba Chua Xu (The Lady of the Realm) Festival is organised annually from 23rd to 27th days of the fourth lunar month, with the main rituals on the 25th, in Chau Đoc Town.
Ba Chua Xu is a goddess protecting locals who live in the southern region. Shrines that worship her can be found in many places in An Giang, Dong Thap Province and HCM City.
The festival is one of the biggest religious events in the South, attracting million pilgrims yearly who come to enjoy folk activities and to pray for prosperity.
In the southern culture, Ba Chua Xu represents an image of a protector of the Vietnamese border and a tutelary of prosperity and health.
The festival has five solemn ceremonies, including washing of the statue Ba Chua Xu . It reflects folk beliefs and the distinct identity of the country and the southern region.
During the festival, many interesting cultural activities will also be held, such as dragon dances, boat race, traditional singing and instrumental performances, to entertain local people and pilgrims.
The festival was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2001 and is seeking UNESCO's recognition as world's cultural heritage.
6. Chol Chnam Thmay Festival of Khmer people
Chol Chnam Thmay is the New Year celebration of the Khmer people. Held from April 14-16, the festival is not only a time for unity, but also is an occasion for the Khmer to pay tribute to their ancestors.
The celebration marks the end of the dry season and the beginning of a new year and new crops.
Almost one million Khmer people live in the Mekong Delta region, mostly in Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, An Giang and Kien Giang Province.
Prior to festival days, local residents decorate their homes and dress up to go to the pagoda to support monks in cleaning the campus as well as preparing for the festival. For the Khmer, the pagoda plays an important role in their cultural life. All religious rituals and communal activities take place in the pagodas.
During the festival, the Khmer go to the pagoda to pray for happiness and a good harvest in the new year. The event also is an opportunity for them to show respect to their ancestors.
People usually visit and wish each other fortune, health, prosperity, and join many fun folk games, including splashing water, blindfolding, pot smashing and bag jumping, together.
7. Sene Dolta Festival of the Khmer
The Khmer community in the southern region celebrate their traditional Sene Dolta Festival from the 29th day of the eighth lunar month to first day of the ninth lunar month.
It's a major event of the group to remember their ancestors, with both traditional rituals and social activities.
In these days, people will clean and decorate their house; prepare traditional foods, which are usually traditional cakes and dishes, to worship their ancestors; go to the pagoda to pray for their ancestor's souls.
On the occasion, local authorities hold art and sports activities and visit pagodas and poor Khmer families to present gifts and share the joy with the community
Among activities, the Bay Nui Ox Race in Tri Ton and Tinh Bien districts in An Giang Province are the most wanted events and has its own significant meaning.
Best pairs of oxen will be selected and well taken care in two months in preparation for the race.
The exciting muddy 120m-long racing path attracts thousands of supporters and visitors every year.
The winning ox pair brings pride not only to their owners, but the entire hamlet also. The Khmer believe winning oxen ensure joy and good luck alongside a fruitful harvest. These animals are neither sold nor slaughtered but cared for as prized assets.
8. Kathina Festival
The Kathina Festival is a major observance of Theravada Buddhism. The Khmer people in the southern region celebrate the Kathina ceremony in two days in the period from the 15th day of the ninth lunar month to the next full-moon day.
It is the time to offer flowers and new robes for monks as well as pray for good weather and happiness.
The Kathina ceremony is a source of pride and aspiration for every Khmer family. They also give other items such as beds, desks, chairs, and wardrobes, to the pagodas and monks to show their respect.
The Kathina Festival has two parts: a ceremony that the monks hold a prayer session to pray for peace for the contributors and other villagers; and a festival that includes folk games and performances of traditional folk arts.
9. Ok Om Bok Festival of Khmer people
The Khmer in the southern region celebrate the Ok Om Bok or Moon Worship Festival in the 14th and 15th days of the 10th lunar month.
The national intangible heritage festival is organised in different provinces but the biggest scale ones are in Soc Trang and Tra Vinh.
After the harvest, they hold the festival to honour the Moon, a supernatural power, for protecting their crops, regulating the weather, and blessing them with fruitful crops and prosperity.
After the ritual, the offerings of young rice, potatoes, coconuts, bananas and rice-powder cakes are distributed to everyone as a symbol of unity and friendship.
The festival includes entertainments such as art performances, festive lantern floating, folk games and boat race which is a traditional activity to farewell the water god to the sea after the harvest.
10. Nghing Ong Festival
Nghing Ong is the biggest water festival of fishermen in other southern and central coastal localities in Viet Nam.
Through the festival, fishermen express their gratitude towards the Ca Ong or "Lord Whale" and sea gods for protecting and supporting them in their daily lives and at sea. They believe that paying respect to the Whale God will ensure safety and prosperity for the entire villages.
The festival is organised in different time in different provinces. For example, in Ca Mau, it is on the 14th and the 16th days of the second lunar month. In Hoi An, the festival is in the second week of the third lunar month. And in Kien Giang, people celebrated the festival on 15th and 16th days of 10th lunar month.
The Nghinh Ong festival consists of two parts. The ceremony is to pray for favourable weather conditions, peace in the country, safe voyages and bumper hauls of fish. The festival features a range of games like chess, stick pushing, tug of war, volleyball and football./.
