Lantern Festival in Hoi An
Hoi An, Vietnam
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Lantern festival – Hoi An
Closed to traffic
120.000 VND + 10.000 VND
20′
9/10. Very crowded
–
8.5/10
The most popular lantern festival in Vietnam takes place in the city of Hoi An. Everyday after sunset you can get on a traditional Vietnamese boat and put a "wish candle" lantern made of paper on the river that crosses the city, the Thu Bon river. The streets of the city center will be closed for traffic, and they will be illuminated by the colorful lights of the buildings, markets and lanterns.
Most of the nocturnal activity takes place around the An Hoi bridge and along the bank of the river. Locals will offer you to get on a boat or buy a lantern, they can be very persistent. The price of the ride is 120.000VND for two people and is not negotiable. You need to buy the "wish candle" lantern apart. They will ask you to pay a high price for the lantern, but if you are a skillful negotiator, you can get 2 lanterns for 10.000 VND.
A guide will take you on a boat ride along the river for 20 minutes. At some point, he will ask you to put the lantern with the candle on the river (he has a lighter, don’t worry). At the end of the ride, he will also ask you for a tip.
It’s a charming and magical place, very romantic. The streets around the river are beautiful, all the buildings have lights and their reflections on the river plus the lanterns and the boats create a special atmosphere.
In addition to this, there is a night market everyday with a large choice of street food and the famous lantern stalls. They will ask you 10.000 VND if you want to take a picture in the very instagram-friendly background. You will also find locals walking on the street with the typical wicker basket full of fruit. They will offer you to carry it very effusively, but once you take a picture, they will ask you money with the same enthusiasm. The same happens with the ones on a bike.
There are many bars with rooftops where you can have a drink while sightseeing the bright night of Hoi An. You will also find some places with great live music.
Depending on the season you go, Hoi An might be flooded. The streets around the river might get full of water and the boat rides might be canceled. The water level changes quite quickly, it can be good in the morning and flooded in the evening.
Special Holidays
You might have heard about a monthly “lantern festival event" that coincides with the 14th day of the lunar calendar. The only differences with any other day are cultural and religious: Locals offer food and goods to Buddha and burn incense in front of their houses. For tourists, the festival is like any other day in Hoi An so there is no need to adapt your travel itinerary to be in Hoi An on these specific days.
However, there is one day whose festivity is even more celebrated among the Vietnamese, and it coincides with the night of the full moon in the lunar month of Hoi An (usually in January or February). On this day, more cultural and artistic activitiesare carried out, such as traditional music and dance performances, puppet shows, art and craft exhibitions, or competitions of popular games. You will easily find these calendars on Google.
It’s a magical experience, it’s worth the visit, a must do in Vietnam.
Comment if you have any question!
