NGUYEN TIEU FESTIVAL

“Nguyen Tieu” (the 15th day of the first lunar month) signifies the first full moon night of the new year. This is an occasion of very special significance for the Chinese community — a day on which they pay tribute to their ancestors and sages, and pray for the very best blessings for their families at the start of the year.
The Nguyen Tieu Festival has been held since 1990 in District 5, home to a large concentration of the Chinese community, and takes place on a grand scale. From 2000 onwards, the Nguyen Tieu Festival was officially included in the list of Ho Chi Minh City’s festivals. By the end of 2019, the Nguyen Tieu Festival of the Chinese community residing in District 5 was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During this occasion, members of the Chinese community often visit pagodas and temples to pray for a year of peace, good health, and prosperity. The Nguyen Tieu Festival is celebrated primarily at the Assembly Halls — communal worship spaces — concentrated mainly across Districts 5, 6, and 11. Deities venerated at these Assembly Halls include Thien Hau Thanh Mau (the Holy Mother Goddess of the Sea), Quan Thanh (the God of War and Righteousness), Ong Bon, Kim Long — deities belonging to the Tam Nguyen – Tam Quan belief system — along with various other Chinese patron deities.
Attending the Nguyen Tieu Festival, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the procession winding through the streets of the Chinese quarter, experiencing the rich culture of the local Chinese community through the brilliantly decorated sights adorning homes and streets alike.