Situated in Quang Nam province, Hoi An is the most beautiful destination in Vietnam which is famous for it’s traditional handicrafts, among which lantern making is the popular one. After visiting this town, you will get to see the hundreds on colourful lanterns hanging on almost every street of this town as Lantern Festival is one of the special attraction of Hoi An. On this festival, the colourful lanterns with candles inside are placed on the banks of the river to pray for good health, peace, and luck. It is one of the cause that thousands of local and International tourists arrive this destination every year to witness the beautiful experience of this Hoi An Lantern Festival. To make your experience more memorable on this beautiful lantern festival, we have mentioned all the details that you definitely need to know regarding this festival.
When does the Hoi An Lantern Festival takes place?
The Hoi An Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 14th day of each lunar moon every month when the view of moon is seen at its fullest and brightest. If you want to explore this beautiful lantern festival in 2020, then given below are the dates of 2020 on which this festival will be held.
2021 LANTERN FESTIVAL DATES:
- January 19th, February 18th, March 19th, April 18th, May 18th, June 16th.
- July 16th, August 14th, September 12th, October 12th, November 10th, December 9th.
Where does the Lantern Festival happen?
Hoi An Lantern Festival takes places in the Hoi An Ancient Town where hundreds and thousands of colourful lanterns are hanged on each street of this town. Most of the activities such as such as bamboo flutes, fiddles, poetry reading, and participation in local traditional games called Bai Choi takes place at the An Hoi Bridge and on the banks of the Hoai River. It is adviced to explore the energetic atmosphere of this beautiful festival by walking around on the streets of this town with your families, friends or loved ones as the vehicles and bicycles are banned in this area during this festival.
What time does it start and finish?
This beautiful and energetic lantern festival commences between 9-10PM. However, most of the people start gathering in the Ancient Town as sunset begins to explore and enjoy the unique street food of numerous stalls along the river so that it would be a great time enjoying delicious local food. Around 8 pm, you will see the minimization in the electricity across the street to allow soft lights from the lanterns to light the Hoi An Ancient Town a magical glow.
What to Do and See at Hoi An Lantern Festival?
1. Visiting a Temple
All the temples in Hoi An remains crowded on the occasion of lantern festival as during this day peoples honour their ancestors by offering various gifts like incense, flowers and fruits. You can avail a single ticket at VND 120.000 to visit all temples and museums on this day. The best temple to visit on this day is Quan Cong Pagoda where most of the tourists come to pray for their luck, happiness and health.
2. Take Photos of Lantern View
The Hoai river filled with hundreds and thousands of colourful lanterns is a perfect place to take some beautiful scenic photos on this day. Here, you can easily find any professional photographer roaming around to take best photos of you at very reasonable price. Apart from Hoai river there are some other places such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, Old House of Tan Ky, Fujian Assembly Hall, and Cantonese Assembly Hall which you can explore to enjoy there beauty and click scenic views. All of these places look very beautiful under the hundreds of colourful lanterns.
Tips on Visiting the Festival
- The largest Hoi An lantern festival is held on the first full moon of the lunar new year. So, you should definitely visit this festival on this occasion to enjoy the beautiful full moon.
- Bring the good photography equipment to capture the best scenic shots at various locations.
- As the places remains so crowded on this festival so it is advised to arrive early to secure a good spot for the best views of the river.
- You can easily buy a handmade lantern from any local store at a cost of around USD 0.5.
