February Festivals
Tet Festival: Tet is one of the country’s most significant festivals, as it marks the beginning of the Vietnamese new year. Celebrations however are somewhat low-key and most local residents in Hanoi will use the time to visit relatives or acknowledge the loss of loved ones. Shops close for a few days and things are generally quieter than normal. No Fixed Date
Mid Autumn Festival: a celebration marking the arrival of the autumn moon. This festival is aimed largely at families and is a time when parents will spoil their offspring with gifts. Mooncakes are traditionally offered to relatives and friends and the streets of the city are filled with flags, hats and smiling faces. Thay Pagoda Festival: held in the Quoc Oai District just 20 minutes drive from the centre of Hanoi, this is the first of two festivals dedicated to the monk To Dao Hanh who is famous for being the patron saint of water puppets. Not surprisingly, the festival sees a large number of water puppet performances. Lang Festival: the second festival dedicated to the holy monk To Dao Hanh, the Lang festival sees a traditional oriental dragon dance which leads a procession along the Lich River starting from the Lang Village. Locals turn out in large numbers to join in the procession. Dong Festival: held in the Gia Lam district, the Dong Festival is one of two festivals dedicated to a mythical historical character known as Dong Genius. Expect to see various water puppet performances plus a procession in honour of Dong and reenactments of his legendary battle against the Chinese army. Trieu Khuc Festival: held in the Trieu Khuc Village in the Thanh Tri District of the city, this festival is a tribute to King Phung Hung from the eighth century who is said to be the village’s divine protector. Dances such as the unicorn, the dragon and the flag dance are held on the streets of the village in honour of the King. | 
