What to do in Vietnam in February

February is one of the spring months of Vietnam. This is the best time to visit the country as the weather is pleasant and there are a lot of things to do in this month. If you have a chance to travel to Vietnam at this time, a lot of event and festivals are waiting for you to take part in. Let’s see what makes February become one of the most interesting months of this country.

What to do in Vietnam in February

1. Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is the most important event in Vietnamese culture. It celebrates the arrival of spring, which falls between mid-January and late February.

Lunar New Year is usually divided into three periods, which are Tất Niên (Before New Year’s Eve), Giao Thừa (New Year’s Eve), and Tân Niên (the New Year).

Many Vietnamese will return to their home-towns on the days of Lunar New Year to be with their family members. Expect some tourist sites, shops, and markets as well as all government offices to be closed during the celebrations.

On this occasion, Vietnamese usually decorate streets, as well as houses, red and yellow because they believe these colors can bring good fortune. They also consider what they do during the 3 first days of Lunar New Year will determine their fate for the whole year; thus, they always smile and behave as nice as they can in the hope for a better year. Although Lunar New Year is one of the national holidays of Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs.

2. Tet Nguyen Tieu

Tet Nguyen Tieu or first full moon of Lunar Year is a good opportunity for foreign tourists to experience Vietnamese culture and religious life. It starts on the 15th day of the first lunar month and lasts only 5 days.

For a large amount of the Vietnamese people, Tet Nguyen Tieu is the most important among all full moons throughout the year.  When Tet Nguyen Tieu arrives, people will go to pagodas or temples to pray for all the best things coming to their family members, their relatives, and friends.

Hoi An is a place not to be missed if you want to experience this day. This is the time when the locals light up Hoi An by floating thousands of lanterns down Thu Bon River or those hung by the stores in the Ancient town.

In Ho Chi Minh City, tourist should visit Cho Lon in District 5. It is the most exciting place during Tet Nguyen Tieu in this city. There are a lot of lion-dragon dance shows held here. According to the belief of most of the people in Vietnam, the lion-dragon’s appearance can bring luck, prosperity, and success for them in the New Year.

3. Vietnam Festivals

If you want to know more about tradition and culture of Vietnam, you shouldn’t ignore festival in this country. There are plenty of festivals take place throughout the year and so do in February. In this article, we will provide you some typical festivals of Vietnam in this month.

  • Lim festival: 13th of the first lunar calendar month. The festival is held in Bac Binh. It is well-known for the Quan Ho folk songs sung by locals on a dragon boat, and some traditional activities such as cockfighting, tug-of-war, wrestling, and blind man’s bluff.
  • Huong Pagoda festival: 6th of the first lunar calendar month and lasts 3 months. This is the occasion for people to pray for a prosperous year and pay their respects to Buddha.
  • Yen Tu festival: 10th of the first lunar calendar month. The pagoda is in Quang Ninh. On the festival, the people go to Yen Tu Pagoda to show their belief and aspiration or to get rid of all sorrows and sadness.

Vietnam is an amazing country to spend your holidays on. With traditional and cultural events, as well as festivals, definitely your time in Vietnam in February is one of the most memorable moments in your life. And remember check Vietnam visa requirement before every trip to the country. For example, if you are holders of New Zealand passports, Vietnam visa Requirement for New Zealand citizens here may be useful.