Unique summer festivals to light up across the country

Vietnam’s distinct festivals attract tourists to all corners of the country this summer

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the country is home to 7,966 festive occasions, including 7,039 traditional festivals, 332 historical and revolutionary celebrations, 544 religious celebrations, and nearly 30 imported events.

There are also numerous entertainment occasions held each year, creating a modern and joyful playground for visitors.

The following are some of the most distinctive festivals that VIR wishes to share for the coming summer.

Danang International Fireworks Festival 2018

Making its debut in 2008 with four countries as the first participants, the occasion (DIFF) has not only constantly expanded in scope over a decade, but has also grown into a distinct brand of Danang.

Held annually with different themes, DIFF helps heat up the summer ambience in

Vietnam’s most liveable city, creating a stir for Danang’s tourism in the eyes of domestic and international visitors. From 2017, the central city has turned DIFF into a two-month festival with vibrant artistic performances.

Under the theme “The Legend of Bridges”, DIFF 2018 will run from April 30 to June 30, and is expected to surprise the audience with five nights featuring distinct performances under different themes: Love, Time, Happiness, Aspiration, and Friendship.

Eight competing teams from Vietnam, Poland, France, the US, Italy, Hong Kong, Sweden, and Portugal will tell the stories of their special bridges, using vivid firework performances and live sound.

In addition, other diverse artistic programmes such as flower street parades every night from Friday to Sunday, food spaces featuring four seasons, a beer festival, flash mob performances, and other joyful programmes by Vietnam’s most well-known artists promise to offer visitors unforgettable experiences.

Carnaval Halong 2018

Opening the curtain for the second Halong-Quang Ninh National Tourism Year, Carnaval Halong 2018, which was launched on April 28, is the year’s largest cultural event for the province of Quang Ninh in general and Halong city in particular, helping the city to become an intriguing destination for visitors these days.

Continuing the success of the previous Carnaval seasons, this year’s programme was bigger in size, attracting thousands of talented artists from home and abroad. Most impressive was the 15-minute firework display on the launch night, accompanied by distinctive traditional music and song performances.

The festival agenda included memorable programmes such as street parades with 12 meticulously decorated flower carts on Halong’s main roads.

The event featured distinct performances by diverse domestic and international art troupes from Brazil, European, and ASEAN countries, creating a unique festive occasion with a harmonious combination of traditional and contemporary cultural features.

Other varied events on the programme include the Asian culture and food fair with wide attendance from famous chefs and singers, the “One Commune, One Product” fair for the northern region, and an electronic music performance also takes place.

Festival Hue 2018

The 2018 season of Festival Hue, with the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development, Hue: One Destination, Five World Heritages” from April 27 to May 2, 2018, is an alluring cultural event for visitors.

The tenth Hue Festival continues to be a venue of art exchange among differing cultures, introducing and spreading the special values of Vietnamese culture in general and Hue’s culture in particular, shown through distinctive events such as the national performance of Chau Van, and ‘Hue Royal Inspiration’.

At the festival, the visitors have a chance to discover unique values of Hue’s cultural heritage with five UNESCO-recognised heritage sites, including the complex of Hue monuments, Hue royal court music, woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty, official administrative documents of the Nguyen Dynasty, and poetry on Hue’s royal architecture.

Sapa summer festival

Making its official launch on April 28 in Sapa’s town centre in the northern mountain province of Lao Cai and stretching for two months, the festival aims to lure visitors to famous tourism attractions in the northwestern region.

In parallel to local cultural, food, and sports activities such as the “Highland market” or the Ham Rong Mountain Peak climbing competition, visitors will experience something special by witnessing the duet singing of the Red Dao people or the dating of H’Mong people at the well-known “Sapa love market”, which will be taking place along local streets of Thac Bac, Cau May, Ham Rong, and Xuan Vien in Sapa.

Anyone visiting Sapa around this time should also not miss the Do Quyen Flower Festival at Sun World Fansipan Legend Resort.

Central Highlands gongs festival

Right after the launching of DIFF in Danang, the gongs festival will also take place early in May in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, attracting more than 800 artisans and gong teams from 11 ethnic tribes living in the region. This is one of the biggest and most unusual festivals in Vietnam, seeking to bring visitors to a distinct regional cultural space and give them knowledge about local cultural practices.

The gong performances are always closely tied to community cultural rituals and ceremonies of regional ethnic groups.

The practice was recognised as an oral work of art and intangible human heritage by UNESCO in November 2005. After Hue court music, this is the second musical practice of Vietnam receiving this title.