Large-scale Yen Tu Spring Festival organized after the site was recognized by UNESCO.

The opening ceremony of the Yen Tu Spring Festival 2026 will take place on February 26th (the 10th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse) at Truc Lam Yen Tu Palace, Quang Ninh province.

This is the largest festival ever held, marking a significant milestone after the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son-Kiep Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

This information was provided by Quang Ninh province on the afternoon of February 9th, at a press conference regarding the organization of an exhibition on Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism and a special art program to promote and publicize the Yen Tu World Cultural Heritage site.

The organizing committee announced that this year's festival has been elevated in scale with the coordinated efforts of the Ha Long Bay-Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board, the Department of Culture and Sports , the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Quang Ninh province, and many related units, aiming to affirm the diverse values, both tangible and intangible, of the Truc Lam Zen lineage, which has a history of over 700 years.

The festival space has been expanded to include five wards (instead of the previous two), namely Vàng Danh, Yên Tử, Thượng Yên Công, Phương Đông, and Bắc Sơn, creating a strong cultural space that connects the community.

Notably, a special art performance will take place on the evening of February 26th, broadcast live on Quang Ninh Newspaper and Radio-Television, recreating the Buddhist ideology of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong through modern performance technology.

The organizers are holding an exhibition of Tran Dynasty artifacts and valuable documents on Truc Lam Buddhism at the Khai Tam Meditation Mirror; an OCOP and Food Fair with over 100 stalls featuring handicrafts, bronze and wooden religious items, and regional specialties; and an experiential space for "Spring Heritage - Tet in Nuong Village" with folk games, dragon and lion dances, and traditional martial arts.

In particular, to express gratitude to the people and tourists who have accompanied the process of making Yen Tu a world heritage site, the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 101/2026/NQ-HĐND, resolving to waive 100% of entrance fees to Yen Tu scenic area (excluding cable car tickets) from 2026 to the end of 2028.

To ensure the safety of tourists in anticipation of a surge in visitor numbers, the province has installed an AI-powered surveillance camera system and purchased comprehensive insurance for all visitors.

With meticulous preparation and strong stimulus policies, the Yen Tu Spring Festival 2026 is expected to create a widespread impact, making the Yen Tu World Heritage site a safe and attractive cultural and spiritual destination, and a "red address" for traditional education for the younger generation.

In 2025, nearly 600,000 tourists visited Yen Tu. The goal for 2026 and subsequent years is for Quang Ninh province to strengthen its promotional efforts to attract even more tourists to this heritage site.

Mr. Mai Vu Tuan, Head of the Ha Long Bay-Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board, said that after a long journey of effort in building the dossier and passing rigorous evaluation rounds, Yen Tu has affirmed its cultural depth and outstanding global value.

The UNESCO inscription of this heritage site in July 2025 is not only a source of pride but also a responsibility to preserve and promote its "internal strengths," and to develop a heritage economy.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/to-chuc-le-hoi-xuan-yen-tu-quy-mo-lon-sau-khi-di-san-duoc-unesco-ghi-danh-post1093306.vnp