Vietnam is a year-round destination thanks to the diversity of landscapes and nice weather. But it can also be a bit difficult for you to choose an exact time to plan your, achieving the most memorable experiences. If you still can’t decide, we would like to suggest spring in Vietnam - the best time for joining traditional festivals, admiring the colorful flowers blooming across the country. The nice and pleasant weather makes spring the best time for traveling and sightseeing. Let’s see what the weather is like & what are the best things to experience.
I - When spring in Vietnam start?
1 - Spring weather in Vietnam
In the north and north central Vietnam
Source: demoda
Many people often think that January is the time of spring in Vietnam, but the calendar does not really reflect the change of weather. Therefore, people have determined that the beginning of this season is around February 4 or 5 every year, and ends around May 5 - 6. Spring is also considered a transition between the hot season (summer) and the cold season (winter), so the temperature is in the middle and quite comfortable, ranging from 20 - 23°C. However, drizzles lasting for many days, causing high humidity and sometimes quite uncomfortable, are the main characteristics of the spring season in Vietnam’s northern region.
Spring in Vietnam’s south and south central region
This part of Vietnam is located closer to the latitude, so there are two quite distinct seasons, the rainy season and the dry season, with the latter coinciding with spring in the North. It usually starts in November and ends in April - early May but can fluctuate depending on the year, in which about the last 3 months the weather is hotter and wetter. The average temperature during this time is 23 - 38°C, with long sunny hours and almost no rain or the rain is brief.
2 - Imprint of spring in Vietnam
In the spring season, the cool weather in the north and sunny weather in the south give great conditions for flowers to bloom, creating colorful landscapes. The typical flower of the North is peach blossom, which you can admire in flower villages near Hanoi such as Nhat Tan, Tay Tuu, or go further to Moc Chau plateau for wild flowers. The bright pastel pink color makes the space feel like it is wearing a new coat, becoming a charming and captivating painting. Meanwhile, the Northwest this time would be covered with a pure and romantic white color of plum and apricot blossoms.
If peach blossom is the symbol of spring in Vietnam in the North, yellow apricot blossom and chrysanthemum are the flowers that bring Tet atmosphere to the South. On this occasion, these flowers begin to overflow and bloom everywhere, from the countryside to the big streets, everywhere filled with their golden colors. That is why Southerners often choose these flowers to decorate their homes, with the meaning of bringing hope of fortune, brightness and joy in life.
II - Top traditional festivals in spring in Vietnam
1 - Vietnamese Lunar New Year
Source: @Nina May
The Lunar New Year is the biggest traditional spring festival season in Vietnam, with lots of cultural activities and festivals. It is often counted from December 27 - January 5 (lunar calendar), corresponding to about January 21 - February 19 (solar calendar), with the fluctuation due to leap years. However, many preparations, religious and spiritual activities have usually taken place since December 23, such as cleaning the house or seeing off Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao. Each family will prepare a tray of offerings, with incense, flowers, white wine, votive paper, red carp for releasing.
Spring in Vietnam gets started with the Lunar New Year’s Eve - the most important Vietnamese spring festival. Vietnamese people often worship the year-end, reporting to their ancestors about the previous year and wish for good things in the coming year. After that, all family members will sit and eat together, enjoying a cozy and warm space, watching fireworks and entertainment shows. Then the first few days of the New Year in Vietnam are time to visit and give good wishes to relatives, friends and teachers, go to ancestors’ graves, pagodas and participate in interesting festivals across Vietnam.
2 - Huong Pagoda Festival - top festival in spring in Vietnam
Source: wikimedia
As one of the spiritual and cultural events of special significance, the Huong Pagoda festival takes place every spring season in Vietnam in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Hanoi. This event takes place for about 3 months, with the festival lasting from January 6 to the last week of March (lunar calendar), in which the culmination is from January’s full moon to February 18. On this occasion, millions of people flock here, joining in the incense offering ceremony and worshiping, sitting on a boat to admire the beautiful scenery, and participating in interesting traditional folk games.
On the trip to Huong pagoda in spring in Vietnam, in addition to Avalokiteshvara and Ba Chua Ba (the incarnation of a bodhisattva), the complex of Huong Pagoda also worships many other gods such as mountain God, Ba Chua Thuong Ngan… From before the opening day to the end of the festival, the whole site is always bustling and full of incense, starting with the welcome performance of the lion dance team. You can also immerse yourself in the jubilant atmosphere by participating in cultural activities such as mountain climbing, boating, rowing singing, literary singing, etc.
3 - Hung Temple Festival - a famous Vietnamese spring festival
Source: reatimes
Also known as Hung King’s death anniversary, this is an important occasion that takes place in the spring in Vietnam, exactly on the 10th day of the third lunar month. However, the festival usually lasts from the 1st to the 10th day, at Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province. The purpose of Hung King temple festival is to remember and express gratitude to the founding merits of the Hung Kings, and the ancestors who had defended the country.
The ceremony in the Vietnamese spring festival is held very solemnly, starting with the incense offering, then the procession of gods, elephants, palanquins... of the villages in the region. The festive atmosphere is enhanced by art performances, and many other traditional folk games related to spring in Vietnam.
The Hung Temple Festival is a belief that has been deeply ingrained in every Vietnamese, possessing unique cultural meanings. On December 6, 2012, UNESCO officially recognized “The Belief of Hung Kings in Phu Tho” as the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Spring season is one of the most beautiful times of the year for traveling across Vietnam, with quite pleasant weather suitable for travel. Not only that, you also get to see the hard-to-find brilliant scenes of countless blooming flowers, and participate in many big festivals. If possible, you should not miss the opportunity to experience interesting activities in the spring in Vietnam.
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— Ha Bich
