2019 Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival (Image collected)
The traditional Con Son - Kiep Bac Festival is an annual festival in Hai Phong, inscribed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2012 [98]. The 2026 Autumn Festival holds profound political, historical, and humanistic significance, directly associated with two major commemorative milestones: the 726th anniversary of the passing of the National Hero Tran Hung Dao and the 584th anniversary of the passing of the National Hero and World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai.
Overview of Con Son Pagoda (Image collected)
Overview of Kiep Bac Temple (Image collected)
Particularly, the historic highlight of this year's festival is the official announcement of the brand identity for the "Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac" complex of monuments and landscapes as a World Heritage Site. This serves as a golden opportunity for Hai Phong to widely introduce and promote the outstanding global values of the heritage complex. At the same time, it will strongly boost regional socio-economic linkages, tourism, and services in the coastal estuary area in a highly sustainable manner.
To match the world-class stature of the heritage site, this year's festival organization has been planned systematically with outstanding new elements:
- Announcement of the World Heritage Brand Identity: Solemnly organized on the evening of September 25, 2026 (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month), integrated with the Commemoration of Saint Tran and the Opening of the Kiep Bac Temple Festival.
- Comprehensive Landscape Upgrades: Stepping up visual decorations, including banners, banderols, flowers, and ornamental plants along major streets and throughout the monument areas under appropriate themes, creating an impressive festival atmosphere worthy of an international heritage site.
- Digital Technology Integration: The Department of Science and Technology collaborates to build a QR code system integrated into the "Smart Hai Phong" application. This will provide digital maps, spatial layouts, festival programs, and introductions to local OCOP products, dining, and accommodation options for residents and tourists.
The festival will officially take place over 10 days, from September 25, 2026, to October 4, 2026 (corresponding to the 15th to the 24th day of the 8th lunar month) across two key monument zones:
- At the Kiep Bac Temple Monument Zone:
- September 20: Organizing the traditional Opening Ceremony.
- September 25: Launching the 10-day Festival of Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion on the Southern Dyke Stage This is accompanied by a continuous 9-day traditional water puppetry performance. On the same evening (from 20:00 to 21:05), the Solemn Commemoration of the 726th Anniversary of National Hero Tran Hung Dao’s passing, the Opening of the Autumn Festival, and the Announcement of the World Heritage Brand Identity will be grandly staged at Parking Lot No. 1 of Kiep Bac Temple, expecting to welcome 2,000 delegates. This is followed by the sacred Seal-Opening Ceremony of Kiep Bac Temple from 22:00 to 24:00.
- September 27: Performance of the Mediumship Art taking place over 3 days.
- September 28: The Peace Praying Ceremony and a sparkling Lantern Festival on the historic Luc Dau River.
- September 30: The Foot Procession the sacrificial offering ceremony, and the Death Anniversary Commemoration of Saint Tran at Kiep Bac Temple and Mam Xoi Mountain.
- October 4: Closing of the Festival of Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion.
- At the Con Son Pagoda Monument Zone:
- September 25: From 07:00 to 10:00, the incense offering ceremony at Con Son Pagoda, the Literature Procession, and the Commemoration of the 584th Anniversary of Nguyen Trai’s passing will take place solemnly at the courtyard of the Nguyen Trai Temple.
- From September 25 to October 3: Diverse cultural, artistic, and traditional folk games will be continuously held to serve pilgrims and tourists.
To ensure the festival is safe, economical, and solemn, the City People's Committee established an Organizing Committee led by Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, supported by four specialized sub-committees. Public order, traffic flow, and fire prevention and control are tightly coordinated by the City Police and the Military Command.
Additionally, the Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion Week will gather 21 units and enterprises to exhibit and introduce typical agricultural and OCOP products of Hai Phong and its neighboring regions, such as Hoang Giang green bean cakes, Ha Tien clam and worm specialties, Cat Hai mangrove forest honey, and New Generation organic rice. This serves as vivid material to honor the "Scent and Flavor of Xuyen Dong" and bring the "Heritage Autumn Colors" closer to tourists, creating a strong driving force for the cultural industry and night economy of the dynamic Port City in its new breakthrough journey./.