Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival 2026

Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival stands as one of Vietnam's most revered spiritual celebrations, drawing thousands of pilgrims and cultural enthusiasts to Bac Ninh each year. This magnificent festival, deeply rooted in Vietnamese folklore and history, offers visitors an authentic glimpse into the country's rich spiritual heritage. It also honors the legendary Goddess of the Warehouse, who sacrificed her life for the nation's prosperity.

Overview of the Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival

The festival represents a profound spiritual journey that combines historical reverence, cultural preservation, and community celebration. It is one of Bac Ninh's most significant religious events.

Festival time at Ba Chua Kho Temple

Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival is one of the most distinctive spiritual events in Bac Ninh Province, traditionally held at the beginning of the lunar new year. The main festival runs from the 12th to the 14th day of the first lunar month, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims seeking prosperity, good fortune, and peace. Preparations often begin earlier, as residents carefully arrange offerings such as sticky rice, boiled chicken, meat, and fruits, creating a solemn and sacred atmosphere throughout the temple grounds.

What makes this festival truly unique is that its spiritual rhythm extends well beyond the official festival days. From the final weeks of the lunar year, the temple already becomes increasingly crowded as devotees return to “repay their vows” to Ba Chua Kho. According to popular belief, many people visit the temple at the beginning of the year to symbolically “borrow capital” for business and financial endeavors. Toward the end of the year, they return to express gratitude, fulfil their promises, and give thanks for successful ventures. This end-of-year repayment ritual marks the start of a long pilgrimage season that continues through the first and second lunar months.

From the twelfth lunar month to the end of the second lunar month, a steady stream of worshippers visits the temple to perform repayment ceremonies. They pray for continued prosperity and seek blessings for the year ahead. Over time, this practice has become a deeply rooted cultural tradition, reflecting Vietnamese beliefs in gratitude, moral obligation, and spiritual balance in the pursuit of wealth.

Each spring, Ba Chua Kho Temple stands not only as a sacred destination but also as a living symbol of enduring faith, embodying the hopes for abundance, stability, and happiness that define the Vietnamese New Year spirit.

The Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival, starting on the 14th lunar day, draws pilgrims praying for peace, prosperity, and success

Historical significance and cultural values

According to legend, Ba Chua Kho was a virtuous and talented woman from Bac Ninh. She played an important role in developing agriculture and later managed food warehouses during the resistance against Song Dynasty invaders. Her intelligence and ultimate sacrifice in protecting vital supplies led the king and people to build a temple in her honor. Today, she is remembered as a symbol of patriotism, gratitude, and noble sacrifice.

This temple preserves the deep cultural and spiritual values of the Vietnamese people. During the temple festival, people come to pray for a peaceful new year with favorable prosperity and smooth progress in all endeavors. The legend continues to inspire modern Vietnamese people, representing the ideals of selflessness, wisdom, and dedication to community welfare.

The temple embodies Vietnam’s spiritual values, where people pray for prosperity and draw inspiration from Ba Chua Kho’s wisdom and sacrifice

Main rituals in Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival

The festival encompasses elaborate ceremonial procedures that have been preserved for centuries, maintaining their authentic spiritual significance and cultural importance.

Ceremonial worship

The ritual section of the Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival is conducted with solemnity, reflecting the traditional spiritual culture of the Kinh Bac region. From the 11th day of the first lunar month, offerings of sticky rice, meat, chicken, and fruits are prepared at Ba Chua Kho’s altar to mark the beginning of the festival. Ceremonial teams then perform water and wine offering rituals accompanied by traditional music in a sacred atmosphere. Inside the temple, the worship sequence follows the order of the Tien Te, Tu Phu Cong Dong, De Nhi Cung, De Nhat Cung, and other altars. Offerings vary from vegetarian and meat dishes to Son Trang feasts and offerings at the Co and Cau altars, all demonstrating the devotion and sincerity of worshippers.

A highlight of the festival is the custom of “borrowing and repaying capital” from Ba Chua Kho. People believe this ritual brings blessings for business prosperity and smooth ventures, and at the end of the year or early spring, they return to “repay” their vows in gratitude. After the main worship, the festival continues with a solemn procession from Qua Cam communal house to Ba Chua Kho Temple, reenacting Ba Chua Kho’s journey. With palanquins, lion dances, ceremonial music, and participants in traditional Kinh Bac costumes, the procession creates a vibrant yet reverent cultural scene.

The festival opens with solemn worship and vibrant processions, honoring the goddess through rituals, offerings, and traditional performances

Festival activities

Beyond ceremonial worship and the Ba Chua Kho palanquin procession, the festival also features many traditional activities. These highlights attract both locals and tourists, adding vibrancy to the celebration. The festival creates a distinctive cultural space with many engaging traditional activities, including:

• Quan Ho folk singing of Bac Ninh: This UNESCO-recognized art form features alternating male and female singing groups performing traditional love songs with sophisticated melodies and poetic lyrics. It has captivated audiences for generations.
• Water puppet shows: This ancient Vietnamese art form features skilled puppeteers manipulating wooden puppets on water surfaces. They tell stories of rural life, historical legends, and folk tales through graceful movements synchronized with traditional music.
• Traditional folk games: Including pot-breaking games, cockfighting, tug-of-war, wrestling, and other competitive activities that bring communities together while preserving ancient entertainment traditions.

Beyond rituals and processions, the festival delights visitors with Quan Ho folk singing, water puppetry, and traditional folk games

Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival offers an extraordinary window into Vietnam's spiritual heart, where ancient traditions continue to thrive in modern times. This celebration blends history, culture, and community spirit into an unforgettable experience. Seeking spiritual enlightenment, cultural understanding, or simply witnessing one of Asia's most authentic festival experiences, the festival provides memories that last a lifetime. Book your Vietnam cultural tour today and immerse yourself in the spiritual magnificence of the Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival.