Home » Let’ s discover the Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival

Vietnamese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at the 14th night of the 8th lunar month. At this night, the moon is round and bright.

The origin of Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival

For thousands of years, for every Autumn, people have been eager to celebrate the Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Under the bright moonlight, together they enjoy the party and wish for a peaceful life. However, not everyone knows the origin and meaning of the festival.

Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have originated from China, but actually, Vietnam’s festival has a different origin from the Chinese one. Chinese people mention the love story of Hang Nga and Hau Nghe, but in Vietnam, it is a story about uncle Cuoi and Hang Nga.

In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival is recorded to be first organized under the Ly Dynasty at Thang Long Citadel. It was the occasion that King Ly wanted to give thanks to the Dragon God for bringing rain to the Vietnamese harvest to help them have full crops.

Children playing around during Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival
Children playing around during Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival

Exciting activities during the Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival

In the night of the 14th of the 8th lunar month, the moon worship begins. On the altar, there are fruits and a type of moon cake called “Doan Vien Cake”. People also worship the ancestors for a peaceful life. Because on this occasion, the whole family has the opportunity to reunite. They eat cake and enjoy the bright moonlight and the warm atmosphere together. During the Festival, the local has a lot of traditional activities such as Moon Worship, Moon Watching, Trong Quan singing, Lion Dance (Unicorn Dance).

Welcoming the Mid-Autumn Festival infamous destinations in Vietnam

1. Sapa – Endless Beauty Of Heaven And Earth

Sapa in the Mid-Autumn Festival

Attending the Mid-Autumn Festival in Sapa, many tourists will be amazed at the “great” star lanterns with many different shapes that are magnificently lit. These lanterns are equipped with a private generator which lights up the whole town. Many lamps affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over the sea and islands, causing intense feelings for many tourists.

Sapa people gathering together to watch Lion Dance
Sapa people gathering together to watch Lion Dance

What does Sapa have for visitors?

Sa Pa has a lot of beautifully natural things namely: 200m high Silver waterfall, a historical relic of ethnic people – May bridge, the Heaven Gate, the peak of Phan Xi Pang, Truc forest, Ta Phin cave, ancient Sa Pa stone in Muong Hoa Valley. Ham Rong is a place to grow many colorful kinds of flowers which are built on each campus. There is also an orchid garden with many rare beautiful flowers.

2. Ha Long – The breathtaking beauty of natural heritage

Ha Long in the Mid-Autumn Festival

Annually, when the Mid-Autumn festival annually comes, the children here always hope to celebrate the festival with traditional star lanterns, to watch the lion dance, and enjoy the night party.

Instead of gathering together and walking around the town, Ha Long people usually only sit on boats to float around the raft house and come back. Therefore, there is usually only 4 or 5 boats; each boat contains 3-4 people to float around the village. However, others can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with traditional star lanterns like that.

What does Ha Long have for visitors?

Located in Quang Ninh province, about 180 km from Hanoi, Ha Long is noticed by many green beaches suitable for sweltering summer. It has a relatively mild climate, which is sunny, and not too harsh and the weather is exceptionally favorable for a trip. Arriving in Ha Long, you will have the opportunity to discover thousands of spectacular limestone islands and schist with fancy structure and shape. The heritage area on Ha Long Bay spread out an area of ​​434 km², like a triangle with three peaks: Dau Go Island (the West), Ba Ham Lake (the South) and Cong Tay Island (the East), including 775 islands with many caves and beaches.

3. Hoi An – The peaceful beauty of the ancient town along the river

Hoi An in the Mid-Autumn Festival

In the Mid-Autumn Festival on 15th August lunar month, people in Hoi An ancient town still respond to Earth Hour campaign. They minimize electric lights; hang lanterns, and light them on the streets, and light oil lamps along the road leading through the bridge connecting the two banks of Hoai river

In Hoi An ancient town, the moon is brighter when it is not overwhelmed by civilized electricity. Hoi An full moon night in August, reminds the travelers the feeling of a traditional, pristine Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hoi An Mid-Autumn Festival is absent of modern electronic toys, and there is no skillful lion dance performance. Only lanterns show the way for children to tail each other, walk around the ancient town and drop the flower lanterns on the river to send wishes for Mid-Autumn Festival.

What does Hoi An have for visitors?

Hoi An is an ancient town located downstream of Thu Bon River, in the coastal plain of Quang Nam Province, about 30km south of Da Nang City. According to statistics, there are 1360 monuments including 1068 old houses, 11 ancient wells, 38 ethnic churches, 19 pagodas, 43 shrines, 23 families, 44 individual ancient tombs and a bridge. Although the time keeps passing, Hoi An old town still retains the ancient beauty. It was like a place where one could find a virtually intact ensemble of relics that made Hoi An a unique place in modern chronology. Several must-going destinations in Hoi An are Hoi An Market, Cau Pagoda (Chùa Cầu), Hội Quán Phúc Kiến (Phuc Kien Assembly Hall), Hội Quán Triều Châu (Trieu Chau Assembly Hall), Hội Quán Quảng Đông (Cantonese Assembly Hall), Ong Pagoda – Chùa Ông, Ba Le Well (Giếng Bá Lễ), etc.

Hoi An lanterns prepared for Mid-Autumn Festival
Hoi An lanterns prepared for Mid-Autumn Festival

4. Nha Trang – Charming beauty of water and sand

Nha Trang in the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival in Nha Trang city is always vibrant. Nha Trang street is now more crowded with many travelers, adults, and children; The lion dance appeared in many places in the city. In every situation, the lion dance attracts a lot of viewers. Along with that, many hotels also celebrate the festival for children to attract many people with many unusual activities.

Nha Trang people enjoying the Mid-Autumn their own way
Nha Trang people enjoying the Mid-Autumn their own way

What does Nha Trang have for visitors?

Nha Trang is the central city of Khanh Hoa province. It has recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world with a quiet town on the coast.

Coming to Nha Trang beach, visitors will feel a rare feeling of peace. Perhaps so, many people praise Nha Trang as a paradise of tourism. Nature has given Nha Trang all the beautiful things that a coastal area can have. Nha Trang has beaches with excellent white sand stretching, the surprisingly beautiful offshore islands, the coral reefs under the ocean, and the ancient Cham temples in the mountains.

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