What is Hoi An Lantern Festival?
Hoi An was a busy trading port from the 15th to the 19th century, where Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese merchants lived side by side, and its old town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Silk lanterns on bamboo frames are made in its workshops, and the town is famous for them.
The monthly lantern night began in the late 1990s to celebrate the town's heritage. On the 14th night of each lunar month, homes and shops in the old town dim their electric lights and hang lanterns, and the streets fill with folk music, games and food.
When is Hoi An Lantern Festival? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- Monday 2 March 2026Lantern night (14th day of the 1st lunar month)
- Wednesday 1 April 2026Lantern night (14th day of the 2nd lunar month)
2027
- Friday 19 February 2027Lantern night (14th day of the 1st lunar month)expected
- Sunday 21 March 2027Lantern night (14th day of the 2nd lunar month)expected
The lantern night comes every month, on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, so its date in the Western calendar changes from month to month. The dates above are worked out from the lunar calendar, not announced by the town; the town's own events calendar confirms each one nearer the time.
How people celebrate
- Setting a small paper lantern with a candle on the river, often from a boat, for luck.
- Folk games such as bai choi, a sung game of chance that UNESCO lists as intangible heritage.
- Traditional music and poetry in the streets of the old town.
Good to know
- Buy a lantern from one of the old town's workshops: many fold flat for a suitcase.
- The old town is mostly closed to motor traffic in the evening, so it is a pleasant place to walk.
- Avoid the autumn rains if you can: the old town often floods in October and November.