Festivals you should never miss in Ho Chi Minh are part of Vietnam’s copious culture and enticing characteristics
Dubbed as the best city to live in Vietnam, there are several festivals that you should never miss in Ho Chi Minh.
Tet, the country’s biggest festival
Tet usually falls in January or February and is based on the lunar calendar. It is the biggest and perhaps the grandest festival you should never miss!
Expect colorful floral displays and a series of artworks flood the streets of Ho Chi Minh. At night, the streets are lit with colorful light displays.
There’s also plenty of delicious foods to try, including some that are only made during Tet and considered auspicious. Be sure to try the Banh Tet, a mixture of glutinous rice, mung beans and pork covered in banana leaves and shaped into a square.
Nguyen Hue Flower Festival
One of the most well-known Ho Chi Minh festivals is the Nguyen Hue Flower Festival. It’s central in boosting tourism and cultural events, and the festival attracts tourists from around the world. Highlighting the Vietnamese Tet culture, the city transforms itself with flower decorations, artwork and led light themes.
Each year, flowers from different regions of the country are brought to Ho Chi Minh City and arranged into beautiful shapes. Celebrating the Lunar New Year: the theme changes each year based on the Chinese Zodiac animal.
Take a walk along Nguyen Hue street and look at the beautiful rare flowers shaped by the skillful hands of the artist. Walk through this kingdom of flowers and experience the beauty of Vietnam’s flowers.
The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival, also known as ‘Tet Nguyen Tieu’, is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
On this festival, thousands of Ho Chi Minh residents of Chinese descent head to the streets of District 5, which houses one of Vietnam’s largest Chinese-Vietnamese communities, to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
Here they visit pagodas and Buddhist temples to pray for a good year while others join street processions to observe the occasion.
Colorful street performances of dragon and lion dances are cheered on by crowded audiences on the streets in District 5.
Some festival goers dressed up as fictional characters in classic Chinese novels such as ‘Journey to the West,’ creating a festive ambience.
Ba Thien Hau Pagoda: 23rd Day Of The 3rd Lunar Month
This festival celebrates the birth anniversary of Thien Hau, the Chinese goddess of the sea. Ba Thien Hau Pagoda is an ancient Chinese temple dedicated to Thien Hau. Many Chinese make two effigies: Ong Thien (good god) and Ong Ac (bad god). At the end of the festival, these effigies are burnt down as offerings to Thien Hau.
Book Reading Festival: March
One of the most interesting Ho Chi Minh festivals 2021 is the Book Reading Festival. This is the festival for all sorts of book lovers whether you’re just a reader, bibliophile, or just loves the smell of books. This festival is typically held in March, and for two weeks, bookstores put out an exhibition of Vietnamese and English language books in a park setting.
Southern Fruit Festival: July
The Southern Fruit Festival is one of the most vibrant and colourful festivals in Ho Chi Minh city! The festival takes place in Suoi Tien Park every year in July and can be best described as an exhibition of the wide selection of fruits that are grown in various parts of Vietnam. Many of these fruits are unique to Southern Vietnam. The colors, shapes and tastes of these fruits are distinct and unmatched!
