Nha Trang Festivals

Beach Festival

The biggest Festival in Nha Trang is the bi-annual Sea or Beach festival. In 2009 the Beach festival lasted for 7 days and saw Nha Trang population almost double. Live band from Europe, other asian countries and throughout Vietnam participated in this celebration, which is one of Vietnam biggest event. The Sea Festival usually involves 60 cultural shows, different sporting events and seminars and exhibitions. Beauty pageant queens from over 20 different nations make their appearance in the city. The best chef from around Vietnam gathers to compete and show off their famous dishes. This is an event that draws hundreds of thousand of people from all over the world. Hotels are commonly over booked and some even spent the night on the beach sand.

Hung Temple Festival

Hung Temple festival is the worship of ancestors on the 10th day of the Third Lunar month. The Hung Temple is tied to the historical legend of the Viet ancestor. The story goes that Mr. Lac Long Quan got marriage to Lady Au Co who gave birth to 100 eggs. The eggs became one hundred children that populated Vietnam. Half followed their father to the Vietnam sea and 49 others followed their mother. One child by the name of Lady Au Co went to the highlands. The eldest son of Lac Long Quan (father) stayed in Vietnam to become the first king of Van Lang, first nation of the ancient Vietnamese people, founded in 2879 BC. During Van Lang, there were 18 kings descendant from King Hung Vuong.

The solemn and unique ritual of the festival expressing the notable and beautiful tradition of our nation when drinking water, remember its sources, when eating fruits, think of the person who planted the tree, birds must have nets, human must have their birth places.

In Khanh Hoa, the province Nha Trang is located in, the Hung Temple festival is organized on the 10th day of the third lunar month at Hung Vuong Temple. The temple is situated on Ngo Gia Tu road within the city, which was built from 1971 to 1974. This festival includes of respected joss-sticks offerings and offering flowers. All leaders of the province, departments, offices, and the representative religious, people within province attend the festival.

Am Chua Festival

The Festival is held on the 1st day of the third Lunar month at Am Chua Temple on Dai An Mount in Dien Ðien Commune of Dien Khanh District. Dien Khanh is about 20 minutes away from Nha Trang and was the location of the French military that controlled this area. The festival commemorates Lady Goddess Thien Yana who is honored as Lady Goddess. According to legends, this was the place where the Goddess descended on earth and lived together with an old firewood couple in her childhood. To this day there’s a temple and statue of Lady Goddess located here. This 2 part festival consists of the rituals and the procession. Flower dance offering and Van Ba (Vãn Bà) are performed to the god. Song, and other dances connecting to the legend of Thien Yana are also performed during the Am Chua Festival.

Cau Ngu Festival

This is a unique folk festivity held by fishermen along the Southern Central coast. In the communal house of the fishing village, besides the altars worshipping the forefathers, there is also the alter worshipping Mr. Nam Hai (“Mr. Whale”). The whale is regarded as a prime God by fishermen, often holding out a helping hand to them in sea accidents. In Khanh Hoa, the Cau Ngu festivity (“asking for good catch”) is often solemnly held in the 3rd or 7th lunar month in the communal house. The festivity often consists of the Rituals in the communal house and the Festival in the village. The rituals include solemn rites of welcoming Mr. Nam Hai; welcoming the Mountain God ad Spirits onto the shore; presenting offerings to the forefathers; presenting offerings to Mr. Nam Hai; presenting offerings to major Gods; etc. The rituals are followed by a festival, featured by the performance of the Ba Trao (Oarsmen) team, in which the oarsmen, holding stylized oars in the hands, dance to the rhythm of the drums and sing the folk songs of Region V, illustrating the fishing activities off shore and asking Mr. Nam Hai to grant the fishing population a peaceful life.

Tháp Bà Festival

The Festival is held every year from 20th to the 23rd of the Third Lunar month at Ponagar Cham Tower in Nha Trang City. Thap Ba Festival is the largest festival celebrated in this region to worship Lady Goddess Thien Yana (Holy Mother). According to the legend, the Goddess is credited with founding this homeland, maintaining the race, discovering the rice tree, and teaching the local people how to cultivate. The main procession includes two parts: The rituals of changing clothes: (on the 20th day) consists of putting off clothes, old crown hat, bathing the Goddess statue with fragrant water and putting on every thing new; The worshipping ceremony (on the 23rd) is carried out solemnly to praise Holy Mother’s virtues and to wish for a peaceful, happy, and prosperous life. After the rituals ceremony is Bong Dance (the dance like Champa dance), Offering Flower Dance and Boi song performances held on front of the main temple. In the old day, there had basket boats competition.

Thap Ba Festival not only attracts great number of Viet and Cham people to attend but also attracts people from other provinces.