Quang Nam - a land rich in festivals

Quang Nam province, since its founding in 1471, has shaped a rich festival life amidst its diverse ecosystems, from the western highlands to the plains, coastal areas, and islands. And if we had to choose a time when the spirit of the festival is most clearly embodied, it would be spring.

Báo Đà Nẵng•28/02/2026

Thu Bon River. Photo: Vo Thinh

Spring festival on the Thu Bon River. Photo: Vo Thinh

Spring in Quang Nam province is not just a change of seasons, but also the rekindling of community memories. Rituals and festivals follow one another from after the Lunar New Year until the end of the third lunar month, creating a rich cultural experience where the past and present meet in a sacred space.

Agricultural Land Festival

From a genre perspective, Quang Nam province can be said to be a land rich in festivals. The most common are agricultural festivals associated with rice-producing communities, including the Kinh people in the plains who specialize in wet rice cultivation and ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas who cultivate upland rice.

Agricultural production is deeply dependent on natural conditions such as climate, weather, and soil. Many natural factors influence the process and outcome of crop production, thus giving rise to the custom of worshipping heaven, earth, and the patron deities of agriculture.

From these seasonal rituals and prayers, some localities in Quang Nam province have developed large-scale agricultural festivals that are well-known elsewhere, such as the Phong Le Village Shepherd Procession Festival, the Ba Chiem Son Festival, and the Cam Nam Sticky Corn Festival.

For the people of the famous Tra Que vegetable village, the Cau Bong festival, held on the seventh day of the first lunar month, is always an event they take seriously.

For ethnic minorities in mountainous regions such as the Xê Đăng, Cơ Tu, Ca Dong, and Co, upland rice has been their main source of livelihood for generations. Therefore, a series of agricultural rituals have been formed and are highly valued, closely associated with the cultivation of this staple crop. The biggest festival of the year is held after the harvest is complete and the granaries are full of rice. This is the New Rice Festival.

Village festival by the river. Photo: NGO HOA

Depending on the ethnic group, the methods and content of the festivals may differ, but they all aim to express gratitude to Mother Nature and bring together the village community.

Explaining this, researcher Phung Tan Dong, residing in Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city, suggests that nature, while generous, also presents many challenges, forcing highlanders to both exploit nature for survival and worship and revere heaven, earth, and deities as supernatural forces. Festivals such as the new rice harvest festival, water trough worship, and thanksgiving to the forest god strongly and profoundly reflect the spiritual life of people constantly struggling to survive amidst wild nature.

In some places, stemming from the exploitation of forest resources for livelihood, local communities have formed forestry-related festivals, notably the Khai Son festival in Nghi Son village, now part of Que Son Trung commune; the forest thanksgiving festival of the Co Tu people….

The Tien Tho area in Thanh Binh commune used to be very famous for its tiger-hunting festival…

The coastal region of Quang Nam, with its long coastline, has long been home to fishing villages whose inhabitants make their living from fishing. From the custom of worshipping the Whale God – respectfully called the God of the South Sea – the Nghinh Ong festival was born, associated with the unique and deeply rooted art form of "ba trao" singing.

Worshiping the patron saint of a craft has long been a custom in craft villages throughout the country. The patron deity is the patron saint of all crafts, who has contributed to teaching hundreds of trades to the people for their livelihoods. In Quang Nam province, along with the emergence and development of famous craft villages such as Thanh Ha pottery, Kim Bong carpentry, and Phuoc Kieu casting, the communities of these craft villages all organize festivals in the spring, praying for a successful year in their work.

Village community festivals

Among the rich tapestry of festivals in Quang Nam province, there are two large-scale festivals held in the spring that attract strong participation from the local community and visitors from near and far. These are the Ba Cho Duoc Festival and the Ba Thu Bon Festival. These festivals have a strong religious and spiritual character.

The New Year's Thanksgiving Festival of the Co Tu people of Tay Giang. Photo: Pơloong Plênh

Another type of festival in this category is the Ba Phuong Chao festival in Vu Gia commune, Da Nang city. Some researchers believe that the aforementioned festivals belong to the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship tradition, which is blended with the Cham custom of worshipping the Mother Goddess. Therefore, the festival's characteristics are quite unique and captivating.

Associated with the veneration of the pioneering ancestors and later generations is the ritual of offering sacrifices to those who contributed to the clearing of land and the establishment of settlements for future generations. From this widespread custom, some localities have elevated it into a major regional festival, notably the Thanh Minh festival in Go Noi, the Ngu Xa Tra Kieu festival, and the Hoi An communal house festival in Tien Phuoc commune…

As part of the unified yet diverse culture of the Vietnamese people, the festivals of Quang Nam province possess both universal characteristics and content, as well as unique features of local and regional culture, creating richness and uniqueness.

Traditional village festival in Duy Xuyen. Photo: MAI NHI

Whether it's an agricultural festival or a traditional craft village festival, the village character remains clearly evident. These festivals represent long-standing cultural values, forged and tested through the long history of the inhabitants' lives.

The festivals of Quang Nam province reflect the formation, development, and adaptation of the local community to the natural and social conditions and historical processes of the area. These festivals also combine, intertwine, and interact with the customs and traditions of other communities throughout history.

Despite numerous ups and downs, festivals in Quang Nam province remain a persistent stream flowing from the deep and sacred source of the land, becoming an essential and valuable asset for people on their journey of survival...

Source: https://baodanang.vn/xu-quang-vung-dat-phong-phu-le-hoi-3325988.html