Hội An Lantern Festival is voted as one of the Vietnam’s 7 most
spectacular festival by Wanderlust.“From impressive processions and
luminous light displays, to vibrant street-art performances and blessing
the souls of the dead
Hoi
An’s ancient temples and pagodas are packed with worshippers; the smell
of incense fills the streets of the old town; tables of votive
offerings for ancestors and spirits stand outside every home, lit by
flickering candles: It’s the eve of the Lantern Festival in Hoi An, also
known as the Mid-Autumn or Harvest Festival. Traditionally this is a
time to thank the gods, ghosts and ancestors for a good crop, to eat
good food, and for children to play around dressed-up in masks and
carrying special lanterns. Troupes of dragon dancers roam the streets,
paying a visit to any shop owner looking to have their business blessed
for the coming year and cleansed of any bad luck. There’s a sense of
anticipation in the air as dusk falls in Hoi An: locals, Vietnamese and
foreign tourists alike wait for the lanterns to be turned on and the
dragon dances to begin. Even on a ‘normal’ day Hoi An exudes plenty of
charm, but during the Lantern Festival it’s more beguiling than ever.
As
the sun sets and the full moon rises residents of Hoi An set up tables
full of offerings for dead ancestors: food, tea, paper money, houses and
cars. Children dress-up in costumes and masks resembling dragons and other characters with ghoulish facial features.
Dragon
dancers perform outside shop-fronts to bring prosperity and ward off
bad luck. All traffic and passers-by stop to witness the acrobatics of
the fire-breathing dragons. The troupes are made up of boys, mostly in
their teens. All
other lights are extinguished in Hoi An’s old town as hundreds of
lanterns are lit. Hanging from trees and illuminating shop fronts they
create an irresistibly romantic atmosphere. This ancient light show creates an enchanting play of light and shadow on Hoi An’s old buildings and stores. By the Thu Bon River children sell lanterns to people who set them afloat on the water with a wish.
It’s a captivating evening and thousands cram the narrow streets of Hoi An’s old town to watch the dances, see the lanterns and soak up the atmosphere.
It’s a captivating evening and thousands cram the narrow streets of Hoi An’s old town to watch the dances, see the lanterns and soak up the atmosphere.
