Ancient town's full moon festival named intangible heritage
![]() |
A woman prepares an offering on the annual Nguyen Tieu Festival in Hoi An. The festival was recognized as a National Intangible heritage. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh |
The annual Nguyen Tieu Festival celebrates the full moon of the first lunar month of the year.
The city’s Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation confirmed the certificate was handed over on February 5, marking the fifth national intangible heritage after Thanh Chau bird's nest, Thanh Ha Pottery village, carpentry of Kim Bong village and Tra Que vegetable garden.
The center said the festival was a major event in a series of cultural and ritual activities among local people held during the first lunar month.
Local people often prepare for the festival from the seventh day of the month with ancestor worship and praying for peace at the communal houses of Cam Pho, Ong Voi, Japanese Bridge, Ong and Ba Pagoda and Minh Huong commune house, as well as the Fujian and Jiao Zhou clubs.
A night parade will take place in the Old Quarter with lanterns and a poet recital at Cam Pho communal house as well as folk games at Kazik Park on February 4-6.
![]() |
Vegetarian food, rice, salt, wine, fruits, votive ancestral tablets and paper are used to worship on the full moon of the first lunar month in Hoi An. It's the biggest event of the year. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh |
The annual festival – the most important spiritual event of the year – is an attraction to the locals and tourists with candlelit paper flowers lighting up the river.
Every family wishes for a peaceful year with vegetarian food, rice, salt, wine, aloeswood, votive ancestral tablets and paper.
In boosting tourism promotion, Hoi An city has launched an online portal – Hoi An innovation city – on metaverse and bizverse showing the UNESCO-recognized Hoi An in cutting-edge 360 virtual reality technology.
![]() |
Lanterns are used to decorate Hoi An every full moon. The tourism hub also lights up lanterns on weekends. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh |
It will help visitors explore destinations of the world heritage site through virtual reality technology before travelling to Hoi An.
The Old Quarter of Hoi An was recognized as a world heritage by UNESCO in 1999 along with My Son Sanctuary, and Hoi An-Cham Islands world biosphere reserve in 2009.
See also

Grilled bananas – a much-loved dessert
06:00 | 31/03/2023 Lifestyle

Reel in the flavours of Việt Nam with braised pickled carp
06:00 | 29/03/2023 Lifestyle

Concert dedicated to Trịnh Công Sơn to take place at Hà Nội Opera House
06:00 | 27/03/2023 Lifestyle

Let’s go fly a kite
06:00 | 26/03/2023 Lifestyle

Vietnamese culture and silk are topics of event dedicated to women
06:00 | 25/03/2023 Lifestyle

Renowned Vietnamese artists collaborate on unique porcelain artworks
06:00 | 23/03/2023 Lifestyle
See more news

Việt Nam's grilled bananas among world’s most delicious desserts
06:00 | 20/03/2023 Lifestyle

A dish to try beef-ore you go, Buôn Ma Thuột's famous beef in tamarind sauce
06:00 | 18/03/2023 Lifestyle

Vietnamese coffee reigns supreme on global coffee map
13:10 | 17/03/2023 Longform

Vietnamese iced coffee among world's best coffees: TasteAtlas
06:00 | 14/03/2023 Lifestyle

Xoan singing in Phu Tho Province
06:00 | 12/03/2023 Lifestyle

Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival 2023
07:00 | 11/03/2023 Infographic

Activities planned for death anniversary of Hung Kings
06:00 | 11/03/2023 Lifestyle

Việt Nam wins Miss Eco International 2023
06:00 | 09/03/2023 Lifestyle

Bến Tre's skillfully-crafted rice noodles delight foodies near and far
06:00 | 07/03/2023 Lifestyle

Special circus programme honours female artists
06:00 | 05/03/2023 Lifestyle

Central bank to cut refinance rate in next quarter: UOB
06:12 | 02/04/2023 Finance-Banking

Intellectuals form important force for social development: Party leader
06:00 | 02/04/2023 Science - Technology

Thai Nguyen wants to be everyone’s cup of tea
06:00 | 02/04/2023 Province

Investment surges in Bac Ninh Province
13:00 | 01/04/2023 FDI

Vietnam wins 17 prizes at International Robothon 2023
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Science - Technology
Multimedia

Hà Nội seeks support from World Heritage Centre in restoration of Kính Thiên Palace
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Culture

National Tourism Year 2023 kicks off in Bình Thuận
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Tourism

Oscar dream
09:05 | 28/03/2023 Video

Vietnam remains world’s second-largest coffee exporter
08:55 | 28/03/2023 Infographic

Ha Long Bay, Cu Chi Tunnels among ten adventurous tourism places in Southeast Asia
07:00 | 25/03/2023 Infographic

Vietnam objects to Taiwan’s live-fire drills in Ba Binh
19:10 | 31/03/2023 Policy

E-visa stay period may be extended to 90 days
18:09 | 27/03/2023 Policy

New legal documents in first half of March 2023
06:00 | 23/03/2023 Policy

Animal feed industry asks for import tax reduction on raw materials
09:55 | 20/03/2023 Policy

HCM City to host international paper, coatings, rubber, and plastic expos
09:29 | 29/03/2023 Industry

Bac Kan produce takes off
10:00 | 26/03/2023 Industry promotion

Bac Giang develops rural industrial exports
07:00 | 25/03/2023 Industry promotion

Ocean dialogue dicusses offshore renewable energy potential
09:53 | 24/03/2023 Energy

Investment surges in Bac Ninh Province
13:00 | 01/04/2023 FDI

Vietnam's retail market proves attractive for foreign investors
09:21 | 29/03/2023 FDI

Asian investors increasingly keen on Vietnam
13:00 | 26/03/2023 FDI

India introduces pharmaceutical industry' opportunities to potential Vietnamese investors
19:54 | 23/03/2023 Vietnam and other regions

Central bank to cut refinance rate in next quarter: UOB
06:12 | 02/04/2023 Finance-Banking

Decree 08, a magic wand for corporate bonds?
06:00 | 30/03/2023 Finance-Banking

Foreign investors expand consumer finance business in Vietnam
09:08 | 29/03/2023 Finance-Banking

Stock market violations to face stricter sanctions
07:10 | 26/03/2023 Stock Market

COP28 President-Designate to speak at Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue Conference
16:21 | 29/03/2023 Environment

Turning coffee grounds into energy
13:00 | 27/03/2023 Environment

Vietnam saves 298,000 kWh during Earth Hour 2023
10:48 | 27/03/2023 Environment

The value of wood scraps for business
13:00 | 25/03/2023 Environment

Intellectuals form important force for social development: Party leader
06:00 | 02/04/2023 Science - Technology

Vietnam wins 17 prizes at International Robothon 2023
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Science - Technology

Vietnam, US cultivate sci-tech, innovation cooperation
06:00 | 30/03/2023 Science - Technology

A321neo: Breakthrough technology saves fuel consumption up to 20%
15:37 | 29/03/2023 Science - Technology

Thai Nguyen wants to be everyone’s cup of tea
06:00 | 02/04/2023 Province

Scholarship opportunity at New Zealand Education Fairs 2023
15:42 | 29/03/2023 Society

Coastal communities to fight illegal fishing with own surveillance forces
07:00 | 29/03/2023 Society

Enhancing Hanoi-Singapore business connections
06:00 | 28/03/2023 Metropolis

Viettel’s Cambodia affiliate signs strategic cooperation agreement with local group
09:02 | 30/03/2023 Vietnamese Brands

Hundreds of high-quality goods honored
06:00 | 27/03/2023 Vietnamese Brands

Vietnam adopts high integration standards
06:00 | 25/03/2023 Companies

Bac Giang promotes consumption of OCOP products associated with tourism
10:02 | 24/03/2023 Vietnamese Brands

Hà Nội seeks support from World Heritage Centre in restoration of Kính Thiên Palace
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Culture

Reel in the flavours of Việt Nam with braised pickled carp
06:00 | 29/03/2023 Lifestyle

Concert dedicated to Trịnh Công Sơn to take place at Hà Nội Opera House
06:00 | 27/03/2023 Lifestyle

Let’s go fly a kite
06:00 | 26/03/2023 Lifestyle

Vietnam welcomes back Chinese tourists
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Tourism

National Tourism Year 2023 kicks off in Bình Thuận
06:00 | 01/04/2023 Tourism

Exploring Việt Nam ’s fourth highest mountain peak, Bạch Mộc Lương Tử
06:00 | 29/03/2023 Tourism

Ministry proposes extending visa-free stay to 30 days, e-visa to 90 days
06:00 | 27/03/2023 Tourism