ĐỒNG NAI — More than 800 people participated in a procession ritual on Thursday to kick off the Ông Pagoda Festival 2026, one of the most significant cultural events in Đồng Nai Province.

The festival is annually held from January 10-13 of the lunar calendar to express gratitude to ancestors who established and developed the land of Biên Hoà – Đồng Nai, and show the cultural values and heritage of ethnic communities in the province. This year, the event runs from February 26 to March 1.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism listed the Ông Pagoda Festival as a National Intangible Heritage in 2023.

The procession, called Nghinh Thần (Welcoming Deity), featured participants dressed as heavenly generals and divine protectors from Chinese mythology and historical figures, performing traditional music and dance, and a kylin-lion-dragon dance.

The parade travelled across the main streets of Trấn Biên Ward, including Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Nguyễn Trãi, Nguyễn Văn Trị, and Phan Chu Trinh, attracting thousands of followers.

Apart from rituals, the organisers have launched several activities during the four-day event, including Vietnamese and Chinese folk music performances, a martial arts performance, folklore games, dragon–lion dance performances, and a Việt Nam – China exchange through calligraphy.

The event also presents two cải lương tuồng cổ plays, Tân Anh Hùng Náo (Wrath of Heroes) and Hoàng Đế Du Xuân (Emperor’s Spring Wander).

Cải lương tuồng cổ is an art form combining cải lương (reformed opera) and hát bội (classical drama), which focuses on historical events and national heroes.

The floating lantern release will be held at the pagoda from 6pm to 8pm on March 1.

The Ông Pagoda was built in 1684 next to the Đồng Nai River and was the first Chinese pagoda in the Southern region. The pagoda in Nhị Hòa Quarter in Trấn Biên Ward was named a national architectural heritage in 2001.

The festival attracts 50,000 visitors per year, coming from neighbouring provinces and the countries of China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. — VNS