According to official data, Viet Nam has 60,000 intangible and 40,000 tangible cultural heritages. The majority of them are associated with temples, pagodas, monuments, and churches and are exhibited through rituals, festivals, and artistic expressions.

In reality, spiritual tourism is a type of cultural tradition that satisfies travelers' spiritual demands. Activities associated to spiritual tourism are based on internal variables as well as material and immaterial cultural values connected to the history of how people have perceived the world, their beliefs, religions, and other mental values.

Types of spiritual tourism and spiritual tourism trends in Vietnam

• Spiritual tourism associated with faith and religion: Buddhism, Christianity, Cao Dai religion...
• Spiritual tourism is associated with worshiping beliefs and gratitude to national heroes and people with meritorious services to the country;
• Spiritual tourism is associated with the beliefs of worshiping grandparents, ancestors, and family lines, showing gratitude and filial piety to the previous generation;
• Spiritual tourism associated with spiritual sports activities such as yoga, meditation towards balance, liberation in terms of body, mind and mind;

Spiritual tourism in Vietnam also includes activities associated with sacred and mystical elements. Visitors have benefited from the exciting emotions and experiences that spiritual tourism has to offer. Thus, some claim that this type of tourism aids in bringing about mental serenity.

Huong Pagoda Festival

One of the biggest festivals in Vietnam, the Huong Pagoda Festival draws a large number of tourists each year. Visitors to Huong Pagoda will be welcomed by a collection of colorful caves, folk religious practices, and a softly thriving culture.

The wedding was held in the picturesque Huong Pagoda, also known as Huong Son, My Duc district, Hanoi's capital city. The lengthy time from January to March on the calendar is when the Perfume Pagoda Festival is held. Every year on January 6, the day the forest opens to visitors, the event officially kicks off.

The Huong Pagoda Festival is not only recognized as a typical spring travel event in the "Linh Son Phuc Dai" region, but it is also infused with the spiritual and cultural splendor of the North. The festival part is the intersection between the unique national culture and the inherent spring natural beauty. The ceremonial part strongly expresses the worshiping beliefs of an overall Vietnamese religion.

The harmony between reality and dream, fairy and custom, is another meaning of the Huong Pagoda Festival. In the clean, warm spring air that the affable, uncomplicated Vietnamese people have breathed and passed on since ancient times, reality is the foundation, and dreams are regarded as a sign of despair.

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival

The largest temple in Vietnam, Bai Dinh Pagoda Spiritual Area is home to the largest bronze Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, the largest bronze bell, and the hallway with the most Buddha statues. It is situated in Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, about 15 kilometers from Ninh Binh City.

Every year, the Bai Dinh pagoda festival begins on January 6 and lasts until the end of the third lunar month at Bai Dinh pagoda, Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district. This is one of the biggest festivals in the North in the early spring days, the opening ceremony for the pilgrimage festivals to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh.

The celebration is conducted to honor the achievements of the heroes who have given back to their communities and the nation. A spring event called the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival has been held every year since the first day of the Lunar New Year in the late afternoon. The pilgrimage celebration to the former capital of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh province, begins with this festival, which begins on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year and runs until the end of March. Also, you can visit the temple at this time to take in the mountain scenery and the local cultural and festival events.

The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival is divided into two sections: ceremonies and games, same like every other holiday in Vietnam. Offerings of incense are used to honor Buddha, Saint Nguyen Minh Khong is remembered, God Cao Son is offered sacrifices, and the audience of Goddess Thuong Ngan is attended. The procession that transports the ancestor tablets of the three figures from the old temple to the new one marks the beginning of this section. Buddhist rituals are performed throughout the event in the new temple with customary procedures from the first one.

Hoi An Lantern Festival

Visitors from a distance are deeply affected by the Hoi An Lantern Festival. As the full moon night arrives, the old town is lighted magnificently and bustles with good luck wishes.

In Hoi An, dropping lanterns is a beautiful aspect of the spiritual culture of the locals, both in the ancient town and throughout Vietnam. People are said to be blessed with good health and fortune when they release lights. When the lights are turned off, it represents rekindling the dream of a prosperous and peaceful future for one's family and close friends.

Hoi An Lantern Festival is held on Hoai River, located peacefully in the heart of the old town. This is also a river associated with many activities and culture of the people here.

The 14th and 15th of the lunar month, commonly referred to as the full moon day, are when the Hoi An Lantern Festival is held. On these days, Hoi An's streets are lined with hundreds of lanterns that hang in the air, making them sparkle and appear fantastical. Visitors will be able to hand toss gorgeous, vibrant lanterns into the water on Hoai River, creating a really romantic scene.