Hoi An tops the list of 7 world lantern festivals

Floating lanterns in Hoi An. Photo: Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock

The lantern festival is the pride of Hoi An people, taking place on the full moon day of every month. This is not only a unique tourist attraction, but for the local people, the lantern festival also represents the long-standing identity and culture of this place.

On the 15th day of the lunar calendar, all the streets are lit up with red and green lanterns instead of electric lights. This creates a unique feature for everyone who comes to Hoi An.

Besides the lanterns hanging along the old town, releasing flower lanterns is also an interesting activity not to be missed. The flickering lights floating on a section of the Thu Bon River carry wishes of peace and luck, becoming a symbol of Quang Nam.

Colorful lanterns are hung throughout the ancient town on the full moon day of every month. Photo: Hoi An Now

Not only the lantern festival in Hoi An, AFAR also lists impressive lantern festivals around the world such as the Spring Lantern Festival in Hong Kong (China) or the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan (China) every New Year. This is an opportunity for tourists to experience the traditional New Year in Asian culture.

Thailand is also mentioned twice in this list with the Yi Peng sky lantern festival in Chiang Mai, which takes place on the “full moon day” of the 12th lunar month of the Thai calendar. In the past, this festival had many religious meanings, but now it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the land of golden temples.

Loi Krathong is celebrated at the same time as the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival in Thailand, which is also on this list. However, this festival features traditional banana-leaf Krathong baskets filled with candles and traditional incense that are released into the river.

In addition, the Nagasaki Lantern Festival (Japan) is also a destination not to be missed every spring. In addition to lanterns, visitors can also admire lion dance performances, street parades,... in the Chinatown area of ​​Nagasaki province.

The Oahu Lantern Festival (Hawaii, USA) is the only non-Asian event on the list. This activity is part of a memorial service to honor and remember the deceased loved ones of the local people.

According to Zing