Spring journeys across world heritage landscapes
A cruise ship carries guests for overnight stays on Ha Long Bay
In 2025, Quang Ninh recorded robust growth in tourist arrivals, continuing to set new milestones in total arrivals (over 21 million), domestic and international arrivals (4.5 million international arrivals), overnight stays (more than 8 million), as well as average spending per visitor. During the recent New Year holiday (December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026), the province welcomed an estimated 657,000 tourist arrivals, including more than 70,500 international arrivals. Overnight stays reached around 218,000, while total tourism revenue was estimated at VND 1.62 trillion. Traditional attractions continued to serve as key drivers, with Ha Long Bay welcoming over 43,800 arrivals, Sun World Ha Long Park about 22,000, Quang Ninh museum nearly 6,900, and the Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscapes close to 10,000 arrivals.
This year’s Lunar New Year falls in mid-February, coinciding with the launch of the spring tourism season - the largest festival period of the year. This is also when Quang Ninh typically welcomes millions of tourist arrivals.
Yen Tu attracts large numbers of visitors during the annual spring festival season
Staying at Legacy Yen Tu, Greek visitors George Papastergiou and Naky Andritsou shared: “We lead very busy lives, so we wanted a quiet place close to nature to relax which is why we chose Yen Tu. The atmosphere and services here are very special, helping us reconnect with ourselves. Yen Tu is also the cradle of Vietnamese Buddhism. The staff introduced us to many stories about the King-Buddha Tran Nhan Tong, which made us feel both fascinated and fortunate to be here.”
The land associated with the Yen Tu heritage, the Tran Dynasty and the Bach Dang legacy hosts numerous spring festivals that draw visitors back year after year. On the ninth day of the first lunar month, the Ngoa Van Spring Festival opens, marking a pilgrimage to Bao Dai Mountain, where King-Buddha Tran Nhan Tong attained enlightenment. The following day marks the main Yen Tu Spring Festival, celebrated across the mountain range dotted with pagodas, hermitages and stupas - the birthplace of the Truc lam Yen Tu Zen sect founded more than 700 years ago. Both festivals last throughout the three spring months. Later, in early March of the lunar calendar, the traditional Bach Dang Festival takes place, honoring the legacy of General Tran Hung Dao who led the Tran Dynasty’s forces to victory in the historic Battle of Bach Dang in 1288.
Lively spring festival season
Elderly residents joyfully visit Tien Cong Temple with their families
In the Ha Nam island area, celebrations begin as early as the third day of the first lunar month, when clans gather for traditional ancestral feasts that reunite descendants from near and far. On the fifth and sixth days, the Cau Ngu Festival (Whale Worshiping Festival) is held, praying for “calm seas and abundant catches”. The most distinctive event is the Tien Cong Festival at the Tien Cong Temple (Phong Coc Ward). Its most striking feature is the ceremonial procession honoring elders aged 80, 90 and 100, paying tribute to the pioneering ancestors who reclaimed land from the sea and laid the foundations for today’s prosperous Ha Nam island. Beyond this, many pagodas, communal houses and temples across the former Quang Yen area remain alive with festival activities from the first to the third lunar month.
Spring also brings a festive atmosphere to the highland and border villages of Quang Ninh. Traditional festivals such as the Lang Da Communal House Festival (Ky Thuong Commune) and the Luc Na Communal House Festival (Luc Hon Commune) showcase sacred rituals and distinctive cultural values of upland communities. These events increasingly attract visitors seeking immersive experiences combined with eco-tourism and community-based tourism, which have been developing strongly in recent years.
Quang Ninh is home to around 80 traditional festivals linked to pagodas, temples, communal houses and shrines across the province. Each heritage site carries its own unique cultural identity, inviting visitors to explore and discover. While each festival may last only one or a few days, the first three months of the year continue to draw visitors on spring journeys and pilgrimages, driven by a shared desire to reconnect with cultural roots and to pray for peace, health and good fortune in the new year.
By Phan Hang