Sa Pa: Thousands of tourists excitedly celebrate the "Opening the Heavenly Gate" festival at Fansipan.
On February 19th, thousands of visitors from all over the country chose Fansipan as their first destination of the year to seek tranquility and experience a series of unique local festivals within the framework of the 2026 Spring Festival at the Heavenly Gate.
Opening on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), the 2026 Spring Festival at Sun World Fansipan Legend (Sa Pa, Lao Cai) attracted thousands of Buddhists and tourists from all over to the Thanh Van Dac Lo area to participate in meaningful spiritual rituals. In a solemn atmosphere, visitors respectfully performed the rituals of offering flowers, bathing the Buddha statue, and chanting prayers for national peace and prosperity, and for a new year filled with good fortune and success.
All visitors and Buddhists attending the opening ceremony received lucky salt bags from monks and nuns as a gift for good fortune at the beginning of the new year. A large number of Buddhists and visitors participated in the ceremony praying for national peace and prosperity, expressing their wishes for well-being and good fortune for themselves, their families, and the country in the new year.
The main attraction for tourists at the 2026 Spring Festival at the Heaven's Gate is Bản Mây, where visitors can immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of Northwest Vietnam with a series of elaborately recreated traditional festivals. The Gàu Tào festival of the Hmong people (from the 3rd to the 5th day of the Lunar New Year) kicks off the festivities with the unique ritual of erecting the ceremonial pole and solemn prayers for a bountiful harvest.
The festival's appeal also lies in its folk games filled with laughter, such as blindfolded duck catching, stilt walking, or climbing a greasy pole, allowing visitors to enjoy refreshing moments of relaxation amidst the majestic nature.
Despite the early morning drizzle and fog, the festive atmosphere remained vibrant, attracting a large number of visitors from all over. The radiant smiles and lively atmosphere at Bản Mây created an energetic and exciting start to the Year of the Horse at Sun World Fansipan Legend. "This is the third time my family has chosen Fansipan to start the new year. Not only did we come to pray for peace amidst the majestic spiritual space, but we also thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves in the local festivals at Bản Mây. The feeling of experiencing the highland culture and participating in folk games was truly exhilarating and exciting," shared Mr. Xuân Minh, a visitor from Hanoi.
Especially during this Year of the Horse, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the Flag Raising Ceremony, lasting from February 19th to 22nd, 2026, marking a proud and sacred moment of the new year on the "Roof of Indochina".
It is known that, following the Gau Tao Festival, the Xen Ban Xen Muong Festival of the Thai people will take place from February 28th to March 1st, 2026, opening up a colorful festive space with a ceremony reenacting the ritual of the shaman offering gifts to respectfully thank the river and mountain gods and praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.