The festival resumes after a three-year hiatus caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ten days ahead of the festival, the Yen Tu spiritual relic complex had received more than 150,000 arrivals, equal to 80% of the figure from 2018 and 90% of the figure from 2019.
The festival is scheduled to last until the end of the third lunar month, with around one million monks, nuns, Buddhists, and pilgrims expected to attend the religious event, according to the Quang Ninh Buddhist Sangha.
A wide range of activities will get underway during the festival, including a lantern night, dragon and unicorn dances, as well as folk games.
An incense offering ceremony to pray for peace, along with a painting and a photo exhibition showcasing the majestic beauty of the Yen Tu complex will be the main highlights of the festival.
The Yen Tu spring festival is held annually in order to honour the great value of Yen Tu mountain, the origins of the Truc Lam Zen sect, and the contributions made by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong.
King Tran Nhan Tong founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong”, also known as Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen, on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain. The 20,000ha site is widely considered to be the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism.
Yen Tu was officially listed as a special national relic site in September 2012, and typically attracts millions of visitors each year.
Pilgrimage to Yen Tu – The Buddhist Land
The Yen Tu festival which is annually held from January 10 to the end of March of the lunar calendar in Uong Bi town in the northern province of Quang Ninh is one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, attracting thousands of pilgrims and visitors nationwide.
Ngoa Van pagoda – The heart of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect
Quang Ninh province is best known for its natural landscape, notably the world natural heritage site Ha Long Bay, and also dubbed as the Buddha Land in Vietnam. The Ngoa Van pagoda complex, a special national relic site, is considered the heart of Vietnam’s indigenous Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen Buddhist sect.
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