Traditional festivals attract tourists

Phu Tho, the land of origin, is home to hundreds of traditional festivals held during the Spring season. These festivals have a strong appeal to both domestic and international tourists. In the early days of the Spring of 2025, over 300,000 visitors have come to explore the local sites and participate in traditional festivals, contributing significantly to the province’s tourism development.

In January, various festivals are held across the province, including: Thanh Son District’s Khoang Communal House Festival (Huong Can commune), Thach Khoan Temple Festival (Thach Khoan commune), Thu Rong Temple Festival (Yen Lang commune); Yen Lap District’s Muong people’s forest opening festival; Ha Hoa District’s Au Co Mother Temple Festival, Chu Hung Temple Festival; Lam Thao District’s Tro Tram Festival, Ruoc Chua Gai Festival; Thanh Thuy District’s Lang Suong Temple Festival; Thanh Ba District’s Du Yen Temple Festival; Viet Tri City’s Van Luong Temple Festival (flower stealing and stone throwing festival), Mo Chu Ha traditional village festival... Many of these have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as the Vinh Mo Temple wrestling festival held on the 7th of January every year.

Some traditional cultural festivals are gradually becoming tourism products for visitors to learn about and experience activities like human chess, tea climbing, blindfolded duck catching, tug of war, pushing stick, coin tossing, water procession, rice cake pounding... Each festival has its own charm and value, where locals and visitors participate together, creating a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere to start the new year with hopes for a bountiful harvest, productive work, and a prosperous life for all.

For the Muong people’s traditional festivals, performances include the drum dance, gong ensemble, senh tien dance, earth drum, drum du, Vi Rang singing, and more. Through these cultural festivals, the province promotes the image of its homeland, its people, and its diverse and rich culinary traditions, while raising awareness and responsibility among the people to preserve cultural values, both local and national, uphold the civilized practices in festivals, and enhance the cultural heritage of the Land of Ancestors, giving the Spring festivals even greater meaning.

With a variety of tourism products such as cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, ecological and resort tourism, community-based tourism, and more, along with the distinctive, deeply rooted cultural identity of the Land of Ancestors, these tourism offerings attract visitors to explore and experience. The influx of tourists also creates demand for essential services such as transportation, accommodation, dining, shopping for local specialties, and especially OCOP products. The invaluable “resource” from traditional festivals, combined with tourism development, is significantly contributing to the province’s economic and social growth.

Phuong Thanh