To make the festive season even more vibrant and joyful.

The Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse 2026 is in full swing throughout the communes and wards, with many traditional festivals attracting large numbers of locals and tourists.

However, amidst this festive atmosphere, there are still some "flaws" that need to be addressed promptly, so that each festival truly becomes a safe, civilized, and joyful cultural space.

Many tourists diligently wear life jackets when traveling by boat on the Yen Stream during the Huong Pagoda festival. Photo: Ta Dung

"Picking out flaws" in New Year's festivals

At the 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival, on the opening day, many people were not wearing life jackets on the boats at Suoi Yen. Ms. Nguyen Thi Quy, a long-time boat driver at Huong Pagoda, said that this year, the organizing committee had equipped the boats with life jackets and required boat drivers to comply with regulations, asking tourists to wear life jackets before departure to ensure safety. However, some tourists refused to wear life jackets when requested by the boat drivers, causing difficulties for the boat owners.

According to the organizers, the festival season lasts until the end of the third lunar month, but many violations have already been detected and dealt with in the early part of the season. The phenomena of boat drivers asking for extra money from passengers, not adhering to departure regulations, and tourists not wearing life jackets still occur, becoming unnecessary "blemishes" despite the organizers' efforts to improve services for the public.

At other festivals, although violent elements have been controlled, in some places, many competitive games and sports still pose unfortunate risks. The tragic incident at the traditional wrestling festival in Thai Lai village (Kim Anh commune, Hanoi), where a participant suffered a serious injury and did not survive, serves as a warning about the organization and management of these events.

According to Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society , traditional wrestling is a beautiful cultural feature in many rural areas, reflecting the spirit of chivalry, the will to train, and respect for the rules. However, because it involves direct confrontation, it is also a dangerous sport if safety measures are not properly implemented.

Besides the rare accidents that occur during traditional festivals, the sale of unsanitary food, the organization of gambling games, and the inappropriate behavior of some tourists participating in the festival, such as wearing unsuitable clothing or laughing and joking in the ceremonial areas, also made the 2026 spring festival season less than perfect at times.

Change is needed through decisive policy decisions.

On February 27th, the Huong Pagoda Festival Organizing Committee fined eight boat drivers for violating regulations by allowing tourists to travel without life jackets. In addition, authorities also checked the alcohol levels of boat owners to raise awareness, responsibility, and ensure safety in accordance with regulations.

Previously, also at the Huong Pagoda Festival, two boatmen who behaved inappropriately and improperly by "extorting money" from tourists and failing to comply with the regulations of the Organizing Committee were punished by being banned from rowing boats until the end of this year's festival season. These are considered "tough" measures by the Organizing Committee of the Huong Pagoda Festival to tighten management and improve the quality of service for tourists.

According to Le Van Trang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Huong Son commune, after receiving feedback from the press and the public, the Organizing Committee has increased the number of personnel involved in disseminating information, reminding people, and handling violations. Strict handling of violations aims to raise awareness of safety regulations among boat drivers, ensuring absolute safety for pilgrims on the Suoi Yen route, contributing to building an image of a civilized and safe festival according to the criteria of "Safe - Friendly - Quality".

At historical sites, temples, and pagodas—places that attract large numbers of people for New Year's worship—the management boards of these sites deploy personnel to remind people to raise their awareness and behave in a civilized manner when participating in festivals and visiting temples at the beginning of the year.

According to Truong Tin Hoi, Head of the Tay Ho Temple Relic Management Board, to ensure the safety of visitors and promote civilized behavior, the Board is determined to prohibit fortune-telling, hiring people to pray on behalf of others, and offering sacrifices to spirits. This year, the Board has also installed nearly 30 cameras to enhance surveillance. Food vendors, after being reminded, have taken measures to preserve food and ensure hygiene and safety.

To prevent risks and tragic accidents during spring festivals, Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son suggests that festival organizers, when incorporating traditional competitive games like wrestling, must manage them as a sport with inherent risks.

"The organizing committee needs to establish a professional system of regulations and management mechanisms while still preserving the traditional essence. They also need to issue separate regulations for the wrestling competition, have highly qualified professionals assess the venue, and strictly control participants," suggested Mr. Bui Hoai Son.

According to the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, there are currently more than 1,600 festivals in the capital city, the majority of which are traditional festivals, concentrated at the beginning of the year. Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, said that the festival season of the Year of the Horse (2016) is still ongoing with many unique village festivals. However, for each festival to truly become a cultural space filled with joy, in addition to strict management by local authorities, the civilized behavior and responsibility of residents and tourists participating in the festivals are essential.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/de-mua-le-hoi-them-ron-rang-tuoi-vui-736234.html