The opening ceremony for the Huong Pagoda Festival (Credit: news.zing.vn).

The Huong Pagoda Festival, one of the largest in Vietnam, officially opened in Hanoi’s My Duc district on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

At the opening ceremony, the pagoda’s abbot, Venerable Thich Minh Hien, beat the drum to kick off the festival and offered incense to pray for continued peace and prosperity for Vietnam and its people. The event attracted around 40,000 visitors on an opening day.

A ritual at the Co Loa Festival (Credit: phapluatplus.vn).

On the same day, Co Loa festival in Dong Anh district, Hanoi was held to commemorate King An Duong Vuong who founded the ancient Vietnamese state of Au Lac and chose Co Loa as the capital city.

In addition to a palanquin procession and incense offering ceremony, various sporting activities, as well as folk games, were held during the festival, including wrestling, tug-of-war, archery, a rice cooking contest and cock-fighting.

The competition to decorate buffalos attending the Tich Dien festival.

As many as 20 artists from Hanoi and Ha Nam province, along with several young painters from the US and Spain joined a competition to decorate buffalos attending the annual Tich Dien (Ploughing) festival which was held in Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province on February 22.

The traditional wrestling festival in Thu Le village attracts numerous spectators.

A traditional wrestling festival was held for the occasion in Thu Le village, Sia town, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien – Hue province, drawing the participation of nearly 100 wrestlers as well as attracting a large number of spectators.

A performance at the opening ceremony for the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival.

Various visitors flocked to Thien Loc commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province to join the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival, one of the biggest in the province. The event, which will run until March, features traditional cultural activities and folk games.

Source: NDO