HẢI PHÒNG — The Côn Sơn – Kiếp Bạc Autumn Festival 2025 will run from October 1 to 11in Hải Phòng City, promising a vibrant celebration of Việt Nam’s cultural legacy. This is the first festival organised following the merger of Hải Dương and Hải Phòng, and it will take place across an expanded area, building on the success of the recent national achievements exhibition marking the 80th National Day.

According to Chairman of the Hải Phòng City People’s Committee Lê Ngọc Châu this year’s festival will feature many new elements and place strong emphasis on promoting the global significance of the five heritage sites in the Côn Sơn – Kiếp Bạc – Yên Tử – Vĩnh Nghiêm – Thanh Mai complex, which UNESCO has recognised as World Cultural Heritage sites.

The festival will be linked with a Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week, showcasing One Commune One Product (OCOP) products, traditional crafts and launching new tourism experiences that highlight heritage values.

The main events will occur on October 7, including a memorial ceremony commemorating the 725th anniversary of the death of national hero Trần Hưng Đạo, the opening of the Côn Sơn – Kiếp Bạc Autumn Festival 2025, and the announcement that the Yên Tử – Vĩnh Nghiêm – Côn Sơn – Kiếp Bạc heritage complex has been officially recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. This date will also mark the 583rd anniversary of the death of national hero and world cultural figure Nguyễn Trãi.

The memorial and opening ceremony will feature a spectacular artistic programme, with a grand stage combining live performances and modern mapping technologies, extending from the entrance of Kiếp Bạc Temple to the Lục Đầu River.

Festival activities will include performances on the Lục Đầu River, the Hầu Thánh Festival, a prayer ceremony with floating lanterns, water puppet shows and a thematic exhibition titled 'Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc, Thanh Mai, Kính Chủ, Nhẫm Dương – Journey of World Cultural Heritage.'

During the festival, Hải Phòng City will announce three tourism tours: “One Destination - Five Heritage Sites,” “Following the Footsteps of the Three Founding Masters of Trúc Lâm” and “Côn Sơn - Kiếp Bạc Heritage Journey”, which will explore five heritage sites in the region: Côn Sơn Pagoda, Kiếp Bạc Temple, Thanh Mai Pagoda, Kính Chủ Cave and Nhẫm Dương Pagoda.

Notably, the Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week will feature 10 exemplary craft villages, OCOP products, local culinary specialties and spaces for experiencing traditional crafts.

Côn Sơn – Kiếp Bạc is a renowned historical, cultural and spiritual area. Along with its picturesque landscape, it offers a variety of attractive sightseeing and pilgrimage experiences.

The Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc relics are located in Hải Phòng City, over 70km from central Hà Nội. Recognised as a Special National Heritage site in 2012, this area is closely associated with notable generals and cultural figures such as Trần Nhân Tông, Pháp Loa, Huyền Quang, Trần Hưng Đạo and Nguyễn Trãi.

Enduring through history and embodying the cultural essence of various regions, Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc has become a treasure trove of diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It reflects the efforts, thoughts, intellect, and emotions of generations of ancestors who have diligently preserved and protected it to this day. VNS