Outlook Traveller, India’s most widely read travel magazine and website, recommended some Vietnamese unique festivals for an immersive and stunning cultural experience for visitors around the world.

When thinking of Vietnam, beautiful beaches and unique culinary heritage are among the first things on visitors’ minds. Another form of experience added to the country’s diverse list of attractions are local cultural festivals, indicated Outlook Traveller.

Vietnam, a land rich in cultural and historical traditions, has many unique celebrations throughout the year. Cultural festivals are offering a fascinating glimpse into the country’s rich heritage, combining ceremonies, music and vibrant community celebrations. From the  Northern mountain region to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s festivals reflect the country’s diverse cultures and heritage. Planning a trip around these unique festivals will help visitors capture the colours, traditions and interesting experiences.

Lim Festival

Held on the 13th day of the 1st month (lunar calendar), the Lim festival in Bac Ninh Province (North) is one of the Vietnamese festivals take place in the spring.

Lanterns in Hoi An (Photo: collection)

Lim Festival in Bac Ninh (Photo: Vinpearl)

Outlook Traveller wrote, highlighting the unique culture of the Red River Delta, the 3-day Lim Festival will bring typical quan ho songs of the Bac Ninh region. Dressed in traditional costumes, men and women will roam around on dragon boats, singing quan ho folk songs that evoke themes of love, longing and the beauty of nature.

On this occasion, visitors can immerse themselves in the joyful spirit of the festival as local people dress in colourful traditional costumes to participate in various games and chorus singing resonates.

Lim Festival is a traditional festival that surely those who love travelling or even those who love the beauty of national culture should experience.

Xến Xó Phốn

Xến Xó Phốn is a rain praying festival. Celebrated in the fourth month of the lunar calendar, the rain praying festival will take place in the beautiful Mai Chau valley of the Thai ethnic group, a local ethnic minority group.

This ritual is intended to invoke rain, which is believed to bring prosperity to crops. Throughout the village, songs and offerings will be heard, creating an atmosphere that symbolises the community’s hope for a good harvest.

Wandering Souls Day or Ghost Festival

This festival is also called the Vu Lan Rite (to show filial piety to parents). Taking place on the 15th day of the seventh month, Vietnamese families will prepare food and clothes to welcome the spirits of their ancestors back home. According to Outlook Traveller, the serene ambience in pagodas of Hue is the ideal destination to witness the ritual where prayers, flowers, and fruits are offered at ancestral graves, and paper money and clothes are burnt for the spirits’ use in the afterlife.

(Photo: Vinpearl)

Mid-Autumn Festival

Held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival will be decorated with toys, paper lanterns and masks. Activities during the festival will include lion dancing, lantern procession, moon viewing and enjoying sweet dishes.

The recommendation to celebrate a great full moon festival is Hoi An Ancient Town, recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage. Every time Hoi An Lantern Festival lights up, Hoi An Ancient Town will bring a poetic atmosphere with thousands of lanterns radiating soft, warm light.

Hang Ma Street (Ha Noi), where visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of Mid-Autumn Festival clearly (Photo: Vinpearl)

Lantern Festival

Another festival to celebrate in Hoi An is Hoi An’s Lantern Festival which illuminates the ancient town in a dreamy aura, with thousands of lanterns casting a soft, warm glow. An embodiment of tradition and spirituality, the lantern festival symbolises peace, prosperity and happiness as locals pay homage to their ancestors. Visitors can participate in lantern-making workshops, enjoy traditional music and local delicacies from street eateries.

This festival takes place on the 14th day of every lunar month, visitors can witness the spectacle of lanterns adrift on the Thu Bon River.

(Photo: Vinpearl)

Oóc Om Bóc

Ok Om Bok Festival is usually held around the 15^th day of 10^th lunar month (around early December) in Soc Trang Province. The festival will bring a unique view of Khmer culture in the Mekong Delta. Don’t miss the vibrant activities that showcase the rich culture of the local people.

Ok Om Bok Festival, also known as the moon worshipping ceremony, is a major folk festival of the Khmer people held at the end of the harvest season, to express gratitude to the moon – the god according to Khmer beliefs who helps protect crops, regulate the weather, and bring fresh, prosperous fruit trees to people in Phum and Soc.

The festival includes rituals to thank the moon god, parties, exciting singing and a thrilling boat race that attracts thousands of visitors during the festival.