The Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival opened on Sunday, February 28, in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang, two months sooner than previous years, said Thai Cong No, deputy head of the Mount Sam Temple Management Board.
The early opening was prompted by the large number of visitors flocking to the temple, in the tens thousands since February 17 until now, he said.
The Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival, one of the largest folk festivals of southern Vietnam, has been observed as a national festival for the last 10 years.
With the earlier opening and addition of various activities, it is expected that the festival this year will welcome about four million visitors.
Also on Sunday, the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang inaugurated the Long Tong (going to the field) Festival of the Tay ethnic people, attracting thousands of visitors from within and outside the province.
The festival, held in Thuong Lam Commune of Na Hang District, began with the incense-offering ceremony and a ceremony to bring the Tong tray from Phuc Lam Tu Pagoda to the center of commune.
The festival also featured many popular games, including playing the humming-top, which hundreds of people jovially participated in.
One change at the festival this year was the replacement of the strong buffalo competition by one for the most beautiful horse.
