Hoi An comes alive with Mid-Autumn Festival colours
DNO - Hoi An is glowing with lanterns, traditional performances and folk activities as the Mid-Autumn Festival brings the heritage town to life from September 22 to 25.
Celebrated from the 12th to the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, this year’s festival offers locals and visitors a chance to experience the cultural traditions that have long shaped Mid-Autumn celebrations in Hoi An.
As night falls, the ancient town takes on a festive atmosphere, with colourful lanterns illuminating its historic streets.
Traditional activities, including the Heavenly Dog Dance, folk games, children’s rhymes and handmade lantern-making, invite visitors to experience the festival rather than simply watch it.
One of the highlights is a photo exhibition on the time-honoured Heavenly Dog Dance at the Hoi An Museum of Folk Culture, 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.
Running from September 22 to 25, the exhibition introduces visitors to the forms, movements and cultural significance of the folk performance, which has been closely associated with Mid-Autumn celebrations in Hoi An for generations.
The festival also features a range of hands-on activities, allowing residents and visitors to take part in traditional crafts and folk games.
Making lanterns, decorating unicorn figures and masks, playing traditional games and solving riddles offer younger visitors a more interactive way to discover the local culture.
Another highlight comes on the evening of September 24, when the “Hoi An Ancient Town Night” programme runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The programme aims to recreate aspects of local life in the early 20th century through poetry, traditional theatre, folk music, martial arts, chess, “Bai Choi” folk singing game and calligraphy.
For international visitors, the festival provides a closer look at how traditional crafts, performing arts and community life continue to shape Hoi An’s cultural identity.
Under the glow of lanterns, the Mid-Autumn Festival turns the ancient town into a living cultural stage where heritage is not only displayed but experienced through music, movement, craftsmanship and shared moments.