Discover The Top 5 Best Experiences At The Hoi An Lantern Festival

1. Overview

Hoi An Ancient Town was built from the 15th to the 19th century. Hoi An’s ancient streets still retain their timeless beauty, making it one of the largest and best-preserved ancient towns in Vietnam, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Cobblestone streets, bright yellow old houses, and shimmering lanterns create a romantic atmosphere, attracting visitors from all over the world.

One of the most outstanding features of Hoi An is its lively cultural scene, with many traditional festivals and events taking place throughout the year. In particular, one of the experiences not to be missed when coming to Hoi An is participating in the Hoi An Lantern Festival. This is a special event that attracts not only foreign but also domestic tourists. Brightly coloured lanterns not only symbolize good luck and peace but also create a beautiful and peaceful space. This is a unique experience that tourists should not miss on their journey to discover Hoi An.

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2. Learn about the origins of the Hoi An Lantern Festival

The Hoi An Lantern Festival dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, when Hoi An was still a bustling trading center. The Chinese and Japanese who settled in Hoi An brought lanterns and hung them in front of their homes as a reminder of their homeland.
As time passed, lantern making became a staple in family businesses, festivals, and celebrations. Vietnamese locals also started hanging lanterns, hoping to bring luck and happiness. The colorful lanterns were eventually considered a symbol of Hoi An.
Around 1988, the local government decided to organize a lantern festival on the full moon day of every month. In particular, people are encouraged to replace electric lights with the warm light of lanterns. Since then, the festival has become one of the most anticipated events for locals and tourists.

3. When and where is the Hoi An Lantern Festival held?

Hoi An Lantern Festival is held on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, when the moon is fullest and brightest, from 6 p.m. to about 10 p.m. Many people choose to arrive early, usually before 6 p.m., to enjoy the sunset and dinner before the colorful lanterns sparkle. The festival is held in and around the old town, especially in areas near the Hoai River, the Cau Chua, and the Hoi Bridge.

Hoi An Lantern Festival 2024 Dates:

Hoi An Lantern Festival 2025 Dates:

4. How does the Hoi An Lantern Festival take place?

On the day of the festival, from about 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., all means of transport in the old town are temporarily stopped. Meanwhile, all houses, restaurants, and cafes turned off their electric lights. The whole neighborhood is immersed in full moonlight, and thousands of colorful lanterns create magical light. Lanterns are made from a variety of materials, including silk and paper, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are often decorated with beautiful and intricate designs.

The main highlight of the Hoi An Lantern Festival is the floating lanterns on the Thu Bon River. Tourists and locals buy small lanterns, make prayers, and release them into the river, creating a beautiful scene as the lanterns float downstream. This is also the ideal time to enjoy many impressive performances held along the riverbank, such as music or poetry recitation sessions. In addition, there are many traditional activities held, such as folk games.

5. Discover the top 5 most exciting experiences at the Hoi An Lantern Festival.

5.1. Admire the sparkling beauty of Hoi An at night.

When traffic stops and electric lights are turned off on the festival day, the charming streets of Hoi An will be even more sparkling, brilliant, and nostalgic. You can enjoy the magical atmosphere of the festival by walking around and admiring the colorful hanging lanterns.

Colors are everywhere: yellow, blue, indigo, purple… along with countless different patterns, making life here vivid, sharp, and extremely beautiful. The shimmering light of lanterns along with the old town space gives visitors a poetic, gentle, and strangely attractive feeling.

5.2. Take a sampan and float flower lanterns on the Hoai River

At the riverbank, you can buy lanterns to release on the Hoai River, this is one of the most anticipated activities in the Hoi An Lantern Festival. The flower lanterns here are made of colorful paper, meticulously cut and folded, and cost about 0.20 to 0.40 USD each.

You can board a sampan, a traditional wooden boat, to travel along the river and release lanterns on the water. Each lantern, according to local beliefs and customs, symbolizes wishes for happiness, luck, and peace. Floating lanterns will turn the entire river into sparkling, fluttering reflections in the middle of the night.

5.3. Admire the various performing arts at the Hoi An Lantern Festival.

During the Hoi An Lantern Festival, you will be able to participate in many interesting activities completely free of charge, and the busiest area is the riverside section between the Cau Chua and Hoi An Bridge. The festival space is extremely exciting, with dances mixed with traditional music, lion and dragon dances performances, and martial arts by members of professional dojos and skilled artists.

If you participate in the Hoi An Lantern Festival during the Lunar New Year, you will participate in extremely interesting lantern decoration and fireworks competitions. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, you will participate in the activity of displaying antique trays to worship the moon. Or you can participate in traditional games such as tug of war, chess, singing Choi, blindfolded hitting pots, etc.

5.4. Visit the famous sights and pagodas of Hoi An.

Many famous places in Hoi An come alive during the Lantern Festival. One of the most famous sights, the Cau Chua, was built in the 18th century. A must-see is Tan Ky Ancient House, considered Hoi An’s most historic and exquisite house.

In addition, you can visit the Cantonese Assembly Hall, built in 1885, located in the center of Hoi An ancient town, which was also a special religious place for the Chinese when they first settled here.

5.5. Enjoy Hoi An cuisine

In addition to participating in cultural and entertainment activities, don’t forget to take time to enjoy the unique cultural dishes typical of the local cuisine. You can sit at roadside restaurants to enjoy delicious dishes such as Cao Lau and Mi Quang, or enjoy banh mi and Mot Hoi An, etc., at extremely reasonable prices. The flavors of these dishes will help you better feel the culture and characteristics of Hoi An, an ancient town.

6. What should you note when participating in the Hoi An Lantern Festival?

During festivals, the number of visitors to the old town is very large, so you need to arrive early to find yourself in a beautiful location with the most panoramic view.

Hoi An at night is very beautiful and sparkling, but there is still not enough light for you to take the clearest photos. Therefore, you should bring some lighting equipment if you want to take photos.

The most exciting and spectacular festival is around the first lunar month and the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In addition, vehicles are not allowed to circulate, you should bring simple shoes and sandals to walk comfortably.

Not only attracting tourists with the unique lantern festival, Hoi An-Quang Nam is also known for many famous tourist attractions such as Tra Que vegetable village, Bay Mau coconut forest, Thanh Ha pottery, Cu Lao Cham, My Son holy land, An Bang beach, Tam Thanh mural village, etc.

You can experience more of our other Hoi An tours below:

My Son Holy Land Halfday Tour

Full Day Cham Island Discovery From Hoian

Mindful Retreat In Island Smiles Hoi An

Farming & Fishing Life In Hoi An Ancient Town

Ancient Town Hoi An

Danang – Hoi An – Bana Hill Classical Tour

Ancient Town Hoi An Day Tour

My Son & Hoi An Ancient Town Full Day

7. Conclusion

Above are Discover The Top 5 Best Experiences At The Hoi An Lantern Festival that Metta Voyage shares with you. Hopefully, you will have a memorable trip to Hoi An. Don’t forget to visit our blog to see more attractive travel experiences and contact us to book a tour now for your upcoming trip.

8. Contact us:

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