Mong Cai: Lively festival activities

In the early days of spring 2025 (Year of the Snake), Mong Cai truly became an attractive destination, not only for its unique tourism products but also for its culturally and spiritually rich attractions and festive spring activities.

Procession of the deity at the Van Ninh Temple Festival in 2025.

During their spring excursions in the early days of the new year, thousands of Buddhists, locals, and tourists visited sacred places to offer incense, pray for peace, and seek blessings: Xa Tac Temple and Pagoda, Tra Co communal house, Linh Son Pagoda, Xuan Lan Pagoda, etc. Besides praying for peace and good fortune, visiting these temples is also an opportunity for tourists to enjoy the spring scenery and explore historical sites and sacred temples in the northernmost region of the country.

Located on the banks of the Ka Long River, the Xa Tac Temple and Pagoda is one of the typical spiritual tourist destinations of Mong Cai City. The temple holds significant importance in affirming national sovereignty at the border, commemorating the historical event of our ancestors pacifying the territory, and showcasing the unique characteristics of Vietnamese culture. Having weathered many historical ups and downs, in 2020, the Xa Tac Temple was recognized as a National Heritage site, a lasting cultural landmark in the northeasternmost region of the country.

The folk games at the Van Ninh Temple Festival in 2025 attracted a large number of locals and tourists.

Tra Co Temple, dating back to the 17th century, located in Nam Tho area, Tra Co ward, is one of the 15 attractive tourist destinations in Mong Cai City. With its unique historical, cultural, and architectural values, Tra Co Temple has been classified as a special national historical site according to Decision No. 1225/QD-TTg dated October 24, 2023, of the Prime Minister. The preservation and promotion of the value of Tra Co Temple, linked to the development of the tourist destination, has been established, affirming the brand and location of Tra Co Temple on the tourism map of Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh province. Every year, Tra Co Temple attracts tens of thousands of visitors for sightseeing and worship.

Along with spring excursions and sightseeing at spiritual destinations at the beginning of the new year, spring festivals in Mong Cai also attract a large number of locals and tourists: the Xa Tac Temple Festival; the Van Ninh Communal House Festival; the Dan Tien Communal House Festival; the Quat Dong Communal House Festival… with unique cultural features in the cultural and religious life of the people here.

Along with the Van Ninh communal house relic, the Van Ninh communal house festival is a traditional festival, embodying the distinctive cultural and religious characteristics of Vietnam's culture in this border region of the country. The traditional Van Ninh communal house festival is held annually from the 10th to the 11th of January. The festival is solemn, respectful, and well-organized, with ceremonial activities such as the announcement ceremony, the procession of the deity, and the sacrificial ceremony, and a festive part with many rich activities including: traditional folk singing and dancing, call-and-response singing, games like blindfolded duck catching, pot smashing, football, and tug-of-war… The Van Ninh communal house festival was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in November 2023.

People offer incense at the Xa Tac Temple at the beginning of spring. Photo: Thu Hang, Mong Cai Communication and Culture Center.

Currently, Mong Cai City has 1 national-level special-ranked relic, 4 national-level ranked relics, and 12 provincial-level historical relics out of a total of 59 historical, cultural, and scenic sites in Mong Cai. In addition, Mong Cai has 40 intangible cultural heritage items that have been inventoried and classified, including 3 intangible cultural heritage items included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage: the Tra Co communal house traditional festival; the Nha To singing and dancing at the communal house; and the Van Ninh communal house traditional festival. These are enduring "cultural milestones" that contribute to affirming national territorial sovereignty and are a valuable tourism resource that creates unique and attractive tourism products for visitors, especially during the spring festival.

According to statistics, more than 260,000 tourists have visited Mong Cai since the beginning of the year. Specifically, since the beginning of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake), more than 120,000 tourists have visited Mong Cai to celebrate the spring festival and participate in early year celebrations.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/mong-cai-soi-noi-cac-hoat-dong-le-hoi-3343709.html