Traditional festivals open festive season

Huong Pagoda Festival kicks off in Huong Son commune of My Duc district, Hanoi, on February 21 (the 6th day of the first lunar month) (Photo: VNA)

A monk beats the drum to open the Huong Pagoda Festival on February 21 (Photo: VNA)

A dancing performance at the opening ceremony of the Huong Pagoda Festival on February 21 (Photo: VNA)

A large number of people have flocked to Huong Pagoda over the last few days (Photo: VNA)

A man raises a tray of offerings to get through the crowd at the Huong Pagoda Festival, which is one of the longest festivals in Vietnam when it lasts through the third lunar month (Photo: VNA)

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province, also begins on February 21 (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam beats the drum to open the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival on February 21 (Photo: VNA)

A number of Buddhist monks and followers attend the opening ceremony of Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival (Photo: VNA)

A palanquin procession at the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival. The Bai Dinh Pagoda is a big complex of Buddhist temples in Trang An Landscape Complex - a world cultural and natural heritage site recognised by UNESCO (Photo: VNA)

A palanquin procession at the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival. The festival also lasts through the third lunar month (Photo: VNA)

Giong Festival of Soc Temple in Soc Son district, Hanoi, also kicks off on February 21 (Photo: VNA)

A palanquin procession at the Giong Festival of Soc Temple. The festival honours the mythical hero, god and saint Thanh Giong, who is credited with defending the country from foreign enemies and worshipped as the patron god of the harvest, national peace and family prosperity (Photo: VNA)

A procession at the Giong Festival of Soc Temple. The Giong Festival of Soc Temple and Phu Dong Temple in Hanoi's Gia Lam district was listed in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity (Photo: VNA)