May brings the Lotus Village festival to Uncle Ho's hometown.

VHO - As May arrives in Lang Sen village, amidst the fragrant scent of the new rice harvest, crowds gather in Kim Lien, the birthplace of the beloved President Ho Chi Minh. The Lang Sen Festival 2026, held on the occasion of the 136th anniversary of his birth (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2026), is a meaningful cultural event, expressing profound respect and gratitude for the great leader of the nation.

A large number of locals and tourists visited President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace.

The Lotus Village Festival takes place in May, the season when lotuses bloom. During these days, the Kim Lien Historical Site is bustling with visitors coming to sightsee and offer incense. The thatched houses, rows of betel trees, and lotus ponds in Lotus Village and Hoang Tru Village are also meticulously renovated to welcome visitors from all over.

Despite the hot weather, and the fact that everyone was drenched in sweat and the heat might make them more tired than usual, their excitement was palpable. Everyone felt fortunate to be visiting President Ho Chi Minh's hometown on such a special occasion.

Taking place from May 18th to 30th in Kim Lien commune, this year's festival is organized on a large scale, including a solemn ceremony along with a series of unique cultural and tourism activities. The highlight of the festival is the opening ceremony held on the evening of May 18th at Lang Sen Stadium, Kim Lien commune.

A new feature of this year's festival is the program, co-organized by Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together over 100 artists, actors, and singers, along with nearly 200 professional artists, amateur actors, and many music stars to perform. The stage is designed in a semi-realistic style, on a large scale, incorporating modern sound and lighting technology, and concluding with a high-altitude fireworks display.

A large number of locals and tourists visited President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Diu, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Kim Lien commune, in preparation for the opening ceremony of the 2026 Lotus Village Festival, the local government has encouraged people to hang the national flag, beautify the landscape, and broadcast songs about President Ho Chi Minh on the public address system. The people have responded very positively because everyone considers this a major festival of their homeland.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam, President of the Women's Union of Kim Lien commune, said: The Union mobilized more than 150 members along with teachers from high schools in the area to participate in the parade and a mass performance of traditional Vietnamese ao dai dresses. According to Ms. Tam, after each practice session, a large crowd of people came to watch and cheer. "People stood watching and then voted on who danced the best, who wore the ao dai most gracefully. The atmosphere was very joyful and lively throughout the countryside," she said.

According to Ms. Quách Thị Cường, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An province , since 1981, the mass art and culture movement praising President Ho Chi Minh, the homeland and the country has been organized under the name "Lang Sen Singing Festival".

By 2002, this activity was elevated to the level of the Lotus Village Festival, organized annually at the provincial level and on a national scale every five years on the occasion of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday. Over the years, the Lotus Village Festival has spread widely, attracting a large number of people from within and outside the province, overseas Vietnamese, and international tourists.

Beyond being a cultural activity expressing gratitude, the festival also contributes to promoting and educating about patriotic traditions, spreading the movement to study and follow the thoughts, morals, and style of Ho Chi Minh, and promoting the image of Nghe An province to friends both domestically and internationally.

One of the highlights of this year's festival is the announcement of the decision to recognize the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Area in Kim Lien as a national tourist area. This is considered an important milestone, opening up opportunities for the Kim Lien Historical Site to become a representative cultural and historical destination of the whole country.

Lotus flowers in Uncle Ho's hometown bloom in mid-May.

This year, along with the flower and incense offering ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial House in the Kim Lien Historical Site and Chung Son Temple, the procession of President Ho Chi Minh's portrait, and the opening ceremony of the festival, the Lang Sen Festival also features a series of seven unique cultural and tourism activities: a thematic exhibition commemorating the 115th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's departure to seek a path to national salvation; the organization of a rural market space combined with experiential tourism activities in Lang Sen; the exhibition "80 years since President Ho Chi Minh issued the Call for National Resistance"; a thematic display on the system of museums and memorial sites dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh nationwide, linked to the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the preservation and promotion of the value of the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Area in Kim Lien commune; the inauguration of the nine-tiered waterfall project in the cultural tourism area in Kim Lien commune; a parade, a mass performance of lotus-themed ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), and the closing ceremony…

According to statistics from the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Kim Lien Historical Site welcomes approximately 1.5 to 2 million visitors annually. These figures demonstrate the special appeal of President Ho Chi Minh's hometown and the deep affection that people nationwide have for him.

Notably, the "Lighting Up Sen Village" night tour, along with the "Mo Te Show - Stories of Sen Village" live performance, is expected to create a new highlight for tourism in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown. The program combines professional art with traditional folk songs, recreating the atmosphere of Nghe An's countryside and simple stories about President Ho Chi Minh's childhood and family.

Amidst the gentle fragrance of lotus blossoms in May and the melodious folk songs of Ví and Giặm echoing in President Ho Chi Minh's homeland, the Lotus Village Festival is not only a cultural celebration for the people of Nghe An province but also a gathering place for the sacred feelings of people nationwide towards the beloved President Ho Chi Minh.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/thang-nam-ve-hoi-lang-sen-บน-que-huong-bac-229017.html