The Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara) Festival will be held at the Avalokitecvara Pagoda in the Marble Mountains tourist area from 22 until 24 March.

A scene of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue procession, which is the most eagerly anticipated ritual during the Quan The Am Festival.

Since being recognised in 2000 as one of Viet Nam’s top 15 national-level spiritual festivals, the Quan The Am Festival has drawn a great deal of attention from Buddhists and non- Buddhists across from the city and elsewhere in the country.

This year’s 3-day festival will feature a number of solemn Buddhist rituals. On the spotlight will be the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue procession, which is the most eagerly anticipated ritual during the Quan

The Am Festival, which is slated for 24 March. It is expected to attract a large number of Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, and followers, along with non-believers in the city and other localities nationwide, plus visitors from both home and abroad.

Besides, there will be a light procession, an incense-offering ceremony in commemoration of Princess Huyen Tran, a ceremony to pray for peace and safety throughout the year, and a ceremony to pay tribute to those who founded the Non Nuoc stone carving handicraft.

Apart from these rituals, within the framework of the Festival, visitors to the festival had the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of exciting cultural activities. 

Noticeably, a Japanese art troupe will treat the visitors to the Festival with such exciting activities as Japanese calligraphy art performance, Ikebana flower arrangement arts, and an exhibition of paintings and photos, and tea ceremonies.

Besides, the floating of flower garlands and coloured lanterns on a river, a photo exhibition about the Marble Mountains, a traditional boat race, and a fascinating martial arts performance will be anticipated to draw public attention.

Located at the foot of the bell-shaped Kim Son (Mt. Metal) to the northern side of the tourist site, the over 60-year-old pagoda is considered as a sacred place for hosting the Quan The Am Festival.

Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the most important and popular Buddhist deities for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists.

Like other meaningful cultural and spiritual event, the Quan The Am Festival plays an important role in educating human beings towards love and the good things in life.

The Festival not only satisfies the religious beliefs of Buddhist followers, but it has also become a special tourism product of the Marble Mountains tourist area. In addition, it has helped to preserve and promote the traditional Vietnamese cultural identity.

During the Festival, the festival’s organising board is joining forces with relevant agencies to ensure security, traffic safety, environmental sanitation, fire prevention and fighting, food hygiene and safety for locals and visitors during the event.

In particular, the focus was on ensuring the smooth movement of vehicles, and food safety and hygiene at the eating and drinking stores.

Furthermore, strong measures were taken to stop littering, the harassment of tourists, the operation of street vendors, the illegal trade in fish and birds for release, the burning of votive papers, any increase in parking fees, and the distribution of illegal documents which negatively affect Vietnamese customs and traditions.