Top 10 most famous traditional festivals in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is a modern and dynamic city in Vietnam. Every year, it attracts many international tourists to explore and experience. And on the journey to explore Ho Chi Minh City, visitors certainly cannot miss the unique festivals. Ama Journey will help you summarize the 10 most famous traditional festivals in Ho Chi Minh City through the following article.

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1. Ong Dia Temple Festival

• Time: 2nd of the second lunar month
• Location: 125 Le Loi Street, Ward 3, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City

One of the first festivals in Ho Chi Minh City that needs to be mentioned is the Ong Dia Temple Festival. This is a typical festival for temple festivals in the city and the Southern region. The festival is held to honor Tho Dia Phuc Duc Chinh Than with other gods.

This special festival brings together many unique cultural and religious activities with many cultural and traditional values. The Ong Dia Temple Festival begins with the "opening" drum ceremony to announce and celebrate. This is followed by the continuous "inviting" part using the electric ball to invite the gods to attend the ceremony. In the afternoon, there will be a comedy show called "Dia Nang" with 2 characters Ong Dia and Nang Tien, criticizing bad habits in the old rural society. This is followed by the golden tray and silver tray dance and toy dance. The end of the Ong Dia Temple Festival is the fortune-giving ceremony.

2. Ky Yen Festival in Phu Nhuan Temple

• Time: from 16th to 18th of the first lunar month
• Location: Phu Nhuan Village Temple, 18 Mai Van Ngoc Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City

Traveling to Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning of the year, you will have the opportunity to participate in one of the major festivals here, which is the Ky Yen Festival in Phu Nhuan Temple. The festival is solemnly held at Phu Nhuan Communal House, to honor Buddha, gods, ancestors and descendants.

The festival takes place over 3 days from the 16th to the 18th of the first lunar month every year. On the first day, the festival begins with a ritual of chanting prayers for peace, followed by a lion dance, traditional martial arts performances and rituals to worship gods, ancestors, descendants and heroic martyrs according to the Southern tradition. The second and third days both have rituals to worship gods according to the Northern tradition.

3. Ky Yen Festival at Binh Dong Communal House

• Time: from 10th to 14th of February lunar calendar
• Location: Binh Dong Communal House, located on the bank of Ba Tang Canal, Ward 7, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City

Binh Dong Communal House is one of the two communal houses with the largest number of visitors and worshippers in the city. Every year, around the second lunar month, people in the Cho Lon Area of Saigon and tourists from all over the world flock to Ky Yen Festival at Binh Dong Communal House - one of the most unique festivals in Ho Chi Minh City that you should not miss.

The festival takes place for 5 days, from the 10th to the 14th of February lunar calendar. The first day is the ceremony to worship the ancestors in memory of the gods who taught the village's professions. On the second and third days, the Communal House holds a chanting ceremony, a ceremony to worship the Gods and a rain-praying ceremony. The last two days are the ceremony to worship the ancestors, the descendants and a final ritual.

4. Whale Festival

• Time: From 15th to 17th of the 8th lunar month
• Location: Can Thanh Commune, Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City

The Whale Festival (Can Gio Fisherman Festival) is a festival that reflects the nature of fishermen in coastal areas, associated with the popular whale worship custom. The festival is an occasion for fishermen to pray for peace when going to sea, catching lots of shrimp and fish, a prosperous life, and eternal happiness, and also an occasion for everyone to remember gratitude, to repay kindness, and to remember the source of water when drinking.

During the festival, from the shrine, and the fishing port to the boats are all splendidly decorated. The rituals held during the festival include: Whale Festival; the ceremony to worship the ancestors... In addition, when attending the festival, people can also participate in coastal folk games such as rope pulling, stilt walking, opera, etc.

5. Thien Hau Pagoda Festival

• Time: 23rd of the third lunar month
• Location: 710 Nguyen Trai, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Among the famous festivals in Ho Chi Minh City, Thien Hau Pagoda Festival is a typical festival of the Hoa people, held to honor Thien Hau for her filial piety, virtue, and self-sacrifice for everyone. People, especially the Hoa people in Cho Lon Area, come to worship in large numbers, always praying for peace and believing that her manifestation will help overcome all obstacles and difficulties.

The biggest ritual is the procession of the Lady on the morning of March 23rd of the lunar month. The palanquin has a statue of Thien Hau, and beautifully dressed young men and women parade through the streets around the pagoda. Following the palanquin are dragon boats, red boards with the names of the gods worshipped in the temple, dance teams including lion dance, dragon dance, and traditional music teams performing and singing, creating a bustling scene in the crowded Hoa neighborhoods.

6. Phan Cong Hon Temple Festival

• Time: 25th day of the 2nd lunar month
• Venue: Ba Diem Commune, Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City

Every year, at the end of the 2nd lunar month, people come to the Phan Cong Hon Temple in Ba Diem Commune to commemorate the hero who sacrificed himself to help people escape oppression, bringing glory to the tradition of 18 Vuon Trau villages.

The festival is held according to the ritual of worshipping the gods in a solemn and dignified atmosphere. Everyone comes to the temple with gratitude and prays for a peaceful year, favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest.

7. Goldsmith's Ancestor Commemoration Ceremony

• Time: 6th - 8th day of the 2nd lunar month
• Location: Le Chau Assembly Hall, 586 Tran Hung Dao, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Next, let’s come to a unique festival in Ho Chi Minh City, the death anniversary of the goldsmith founder. The festival is organized on a large scale, attracting thousands of artisans in the goldsmith industry, not only in Ho Chi Minh City but also from the Southern provinces to attend the ceremony and worship the founders of the goldsmith industry.

The ceremony includes two main rituals: the ancestor worship ceremony in the first two days and the worship of the ancestors and descendants in the last two days. In addition, people coming to attend can also enjoy the art program performed by Cai luong artists and goldsmiths on the evening of the 7th.

8. Ong Pagoda Festival

• Time: 24th of the 6th lunar month
• Location: 676 - 678 Nguyen Trai Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Ong Pagoda Festival is also chosen by many tourists as a destination when traveling to Ho Chi Minh City. Ong Pagoda, also known as Quan De Temple, is a place of worship and religious activities of the Hoa people of Chaozhou origin in Saigon. The pagoda worships Guan Yu - a character from the Three Kingdoms period and many other gods in the beliefs of the Chinese people.

During the festival, there will be activities held such as the ceremony to invite and welcome the gods and saints: Nguyen Huu Canh, Tran Thuong Xuyen, Lu Ban Tien Su, Thien Hau Thanh Mau, Thanh Hoang Bon Canh; Duc Ong's birthday ceremony; lion - dragon dance, traditional opera performance, Don Ca Tai Tu, folk game contest and calligraphy exchange.

9. Ky Yen Festival at Truong Tho Communal House

• Time: 17th day of the 2nd lunar month.
• Location: Truong Tho Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City

Next on the list of unique festivals in Ho Chi Minh City is the Ky Yen Festival at Truong Tho Communal House. The Ky Yen Festival is the biggest peace-praying festival at Truong Tho Communal House, to honor the village's tutelary god and the ancestors.

The special feature of the festival is that besides offerings such as fruits, tea, cakes, etc., there must always be a live pig. The Ky Yen Festival at Truong Tho Communal House traditionally does not have Cai luong performance like many other communal houses in the South, due to taboos with the gods.

10. Tran Hung Dao's death anniversary

• Time: 20th of the 8th lunar month
• Location: 36 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Finally, a festival that cannot be missed on the journey to explore Saigon is the Tran Hung Dao death anniversary. Every year on the 20th of the 8th lunar month, the folk religious establishments worshipping Tran Hung Dao hold a death anniversary with solemn rituals to commemorate the national hero.

Tran Hung Dao Temple at 36 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 1 is one of the temples that holds the largest Tran Hung Dao death anniversary in the city. The death anniversary takes place with traditional Northern rituals, including male and female priests and Chau Van singing to praise the hero's merits.

Festivals in Ho Chi Minh City are not only an opportunity for people and tourists to experience unique cultural values but also demonstrate the spirit of solidarity and diverse cultural exchange. Each festival has its meaning, contributing to enriching the cultural picture of the city. Let's join and explore to feel the atmosphere of these festivals!