Local authority and Quang Ninh's people have been preparing for this year's festival in Yen Tu for a long time. The festival is expected to attract a huge number of Buddhists and visitors from all over Vietnam who start their new year pilgrimage with Yen Tu. There are about 3 millions of visitors coming to Yen Tu on this occasion, estimated a local source.

 

The unique feature of this year's Yen Tu Festival comparing to last year is that besides common activities such as the incense dedicating rite or praying rite, new sections such as festival singing performances or the bell rite will for the first time appear. Another interesting feature of 2012 Yen Tu Festival is that most of the event’s activities, from the procession to traditional outdoor games, are conducted by local residents at Phuong Dong Ward, Thuong Yen Cong Town (Quang Ninh Province).

 

Yen Tu Festival is an annual religious event that is held at Yen Tu Mountain, one of the most fundamental Buddhism center in Vietnam. The festival attracts millions of visitors from different regions of Vietnam to come, worship and express their respect to Buddha as well as admire the magnificent landscape around this mountain. Thanks to the new cable system which facilitates the road to Yen Tu, the number of visitors to this place has increased rapidly each year. Figures from Quang Ninh Province reveal that there were about 2.7million visitors attending Yen Tu Festival last year.

 

Visiting pagoda, temple and participating in festivals at the beginning of a new lunar year is a common practice of many Vietnamese. People in Vietnam come to these places both to pray for a good year ahead, and enjoy the exciting post-Tet atmosphere.