Festivals & Cultural Activities in March

In Vietnam, March the transition time of Spring to the Summer. This is one of the best time in the year to discover many destinations in Vietnam with ideal weather suitable for may outdoor activities. In Northern Vietnam, March is not as cold and dry as January and February while it’s warm and dry in Central and Southern Vietnam. Also, in this month, many bustling and important festivals are held throughout the country.

Which festival take place in March?

Perfume Pagoda Festival

Located about 70km from Hanoi Centre, the Perfume Pagoda is Vietnam’s most revered Buddhist pilgrimage site. Travellers can visit the pagoda at any time of year, but the festival is a unique spectacle to witness. Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) Festival is the biggest as well as longest festival in the North Vietnam, taking place in three months, starting from 1st to 3rd month of the Lunar Year. People from all parts of the country coming here to pray for luck, health and happiness in the upcoming year.

Normally, the pagoda is crowded with pilgrims at the beginning, and traveling in March (2nd to 3rd Lunar Month) is highly recommended. The pagoda is built into limestone cliffs and can only be reached by boat or on foot, as there are no roads in the area. We will deeply enjoy the attractive mountain views mirror-image in the crystal water mirror of the stream en route and the nice rice paddies on sides. Getting to the main Pagoda on the top of the highest mountain by climbing or cable car, you can admire the beautiful mountainous landscapes and limestone caves.

Quan The Am Festival – Marble Mountain

The Quan The Am (Avalokitecvara) Festival is held from the 17th – 19th days of the 2nd Lunar Month at Quan The Am Pagoda in the Marble Mountains Tourist Area, Danang City.

The Avalokitesvara Festival is an opportunity for interested travelers and Buddhists to come together to honor the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Like other traditional festivals, Avalokitesvara Festival on Ngu Hanh Son consists of two parts. The religious ceremony and the festive part. The former takes place with the rituals of Buddhism. Today, a wide range of activities are held at the festival such as sutra reading ceremony, photo exhibition on Indian Buddhism, visit to the Buddhist cultural museum, incense offering festival to commemorate Princess Huyen Tran, and traditional boat racing festival.

Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival

Located in Thach That District, approximately 20 kilometers from Hanoi Centre, Tay Phuong Pagoda is famous for its wooden statues of Buddha. The festival takes place on the 6th of the 3rd Month of the Lunar Year. On the main festival day, locals will celebrate by washing the statues, offering incense. The pilgrimages come to the festival to enjoy the landscape, the architecture of the pagoda and the wooden statues of the 18 arhats as well as take part in traditional games such as puppet-play, tug-of-war, cock fighting, human chess, wrestling, enjoy puppet performances, etc.

Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival

Photos: Minh Phuong

Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival is held in early March every two years in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province to promulgate Vietnam coffee in general and in Central Highlands in particular.

Being organized for the first time in March 2005, the festival has two main topics including equipment, technology, materials for coffee production and coffee processing. The key characteristic of Central Highlands area is beautiful coffee flowers. March is the peak season of coffee blossoms when it is easy to hang out and picturesque scenes. Therefore, the region is worth your choice of top beautiful place to visit in Vietnam in this month. Take your chance and join the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee festival in March, visitors can taste many great roast/ grinder coffee on the spot. There are lots of tropical fruits and pepper flute here that take your heart away.

Bauhinia Flower Festival

Bauhinia Flower (Hoa Ban) Festival is often organized in March (the 2nd Lunar Month) in the Northwest Province of Dien Bien when the Bauhinia flowers are blooming spread white colors on mountains. The festival has a great significance to Thai ethnic people in the Northwest Vietnam, is an occasion for local people to pray for a good harvest, good weather and happiness.

The festival will take place during 3 days. Since early morning, gong sound echoes throughout the mountains. Kitchens in stilt houses are warmed with flickering flames to cook traditional dishes in the festival such as sticky rice, boiled chicken, bamboo shoots. The ceremony is jubilant, dignified, and respectful with processions and worshiping ceremony to the heaven, the earth, and the supernatural forces. The festive part takes the majority of time with contests of shooting muskets, crossbows, Con throwing, and cock fighting…

In particular, in the drum sound of the festival and the circle of people continuously dancing Xoe are almost non-stop. The Northwest of Vietnam with its breathtaking mountains landscapes and colorful hill tribes is the place for a real adventure discovery. Visiting the Northern Vietnam in March and joining the Bauhinia Flower Festival will be an interesting experience. We will have chances to enjoy art performance, culinary contest, and many other activities.