Where to go and what to do in April?

Activities and festivals at home and abroad are well-known and popular with Vietnamese visitors, offering many experiences and convenient travel.

Hung Temple Festival - Hung King's death anniversary, Phu Tho (10th day of the 3rd lunar month - April 7)

People return to Hung Temple during the 2024 Hung King's death anniversary. Photo: Tra My

The Hung Temple Festival 2025 will be held at the Hung Temple relic site on Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province from March 29 to April 7. The main ceremony will take place on April 7 (March 10 of the lunar calendar).

Traditional activities and rituals include the death anniversary of the National Ancestor Lac Long Quan and offering incense to the Mother Au Co, the death anniversary of the Hung Kings and offering flowers at the relief of President Ho Chi Minh talking to officers and soldiers of the Vanguard Army Corps, and the palanquin procession. Cultural, artistic and sports activities include bronze drum beating, cultural performances, night performances, xoan singing, martial arts quintessence festival, and water puppetry.

On this occasion, many tours to explore destinations and heritages in Phu Tho include a one-day tour of Hung Temple - Hung Lo Communal House - Hung Lo Ancient Village; a 2-day 1-night tour: Hung Temple - Hung Lo Ancient Communal House - Tam Giang Temple - Long Coc Tea Hill - Thanh Thuy Hot Mineral Complex; a 3-day 2-night tour: Hung Temple - Xoan singing - Long Coc Tea Hill - Xuan Son National Park; a 5-day inter-provincial tour: Returning to the Ancestral Land - Hanoi - Phu Tho - Yen Bai - Lao Cai.

50th Anniversary of National Reunification Day, Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in April thanks to the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South. Many activities on April 30, along with the time before and after the holiday, such as military parades in the city center, cultural and artistic activities in many locations.

Helicopters practice in downtown Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for a performance on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of national reunification, on the morning of March 27. Photo: Duc Dong

Ho Chi Minh City will set off fireworks at 7 locations including the Saigon River Tunnel, the National Historical and Cultural Park (Thu Duc City), the Ben Duoc Martyrs Memorial Temple (Cu Chi District), the Nga Ba Giong Martyrs Memorial Site (Hoc Mon District), the Lang Le - Bau Co Relic Site (Binh Chanh District), the Can Gio District Football Field and the Dam Sen Cultural Park (District 11). In addition to the fireworks, the city plans to display 10,500 drones at the same time on the evening of April 30.

Visitors can also choose to visit historical museums and memorial sites such as the Independence Palace, Cu Chi Tunnels, and War Remnants Museum.

Picking ripe plums in Moc Chau, Son La

The post-ripening plum season in Moc Chau usually starts from April to June. The white plum blossom hills after Tet gradually turn into plum gardens full of fruit. In addition to taking photos, visitors can experience harvesting and eating fruit right in the garden, as well as buying some to take home.

Some prominent plum picking spots include Na Ka plum valley, Mu Nau, Phieng Khoang, Nong Truong town or small plum gardens near the town center. Entrance fees to the garden usually range from 30,000 to 50,000 VND per person. The price of early-season plums ranges from 50,000 to 70,000 VND per kilogram depending on the time.

Water Festival in Southeast Asian countries

Different names such as Songkran in Thailand (April 13-15), Bunpimay in Laos (April 14-16), Thingyan in Myanmar (April 13-16) and Chol Chnam Thmay in Cambodia (April 14-16), but in form, Water Festival in these countries has many things in common.

After religious ceremonies at temples and in homes, people take to the streets, using buckets, basins, hoses or water guns to splash each other. People believe that the more water they splash, the luckier they will be. Songkran in Thailand is recognized by UNESCO and listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Water splashing locations in Thailand include Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Khon Kaen, Hat Yai. In Laos, popular spots are Vientiane, Luang Phrabang, Vang Vieng. In Cambodia, tourists often gather at the ancient temple Wat Phnom, in the center of Phnom Penh.

Note: Following the earthquake in Myanmar affecting many neighboring countries, travelers should check safety conditions and take precautions before traveling.

Purple phoenix flower season in Kunming, China

Purple phoenix flowers along Jiaochang Middle Road in Kunming. Photo: People Daily

The purple jacaranda season in Kunming usually begins in late April and lasts until early May. The flowers bloom most abundantly and beautifully along the 400-meter-long Jiaochang Middle Road, turning this place into a "purple paradise". In addition to Jiaochang Middle Road, visitors can also visit the Panlong Riverbank, Guangfu Road, Cuihu Park, and Baohai Park.

Purple jacarandas have been grown in Kunming since 1984 in the Botanical Garden. The garden's research institute obtained seeds from Algeria through a seed exchange program. After more than 30 years, the flowers bloom every year, dyeing the streets of Kunming purple.

Cherry Blossom Festival, Japan and Korea

April is the time when cherry blossoms bloom in Japan and Korea. According to forecasts, in Korea, the flowers will start blooming in the capital Seoul from March 28 and will be at their most brilliant from April 3 to 10. In Japan, the flowers will bloom in famous tourist cities in the south such as Osaka and Kyoto in the first and second weeks of April.

Picnics under the cherry blossoms (hanami) and enjoying cherry blossom cuisine are experiences not to be missed this time. Tourists planning to visit Japan and Korea to see the flowers should keep an eye on the weather to choose the best time and place to enjoy the flowers.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/thang-4-di-dau-choi-gi-3351108.html