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The festival of filial piety, observed on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, is marked by prayers and rituals for happiness and good luck. This year, the day fell on Saturday, August 25. On Friday night, both locals and tourists took boat rides on the Hoai River, which flows alongside the ancient town of Hoi An, to release lanterns as a form of prayer. |
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Little girls helped parents sell lanterns on the walking zone along the river bank. Each lantern was sold for VND5,000 ($0.21) |
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The lanterns were released from 6p.m. to 11p.m. |
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After releasing the lanterns, children prayed with folded hands. |
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The lantern releasing ritual is an opportunity for boat owners and/or their rowers to earn some extra income. People who took a boat ride were asked to wear lifejackets. |
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Some people used long rods to release the lanterns. |
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The lantern releasing ritual for the Vu Lan festival, besides its cultural and spiritual significance, has boosted tourism in Hoi An. |
The US news network CNN has named the colorful floating lanterns in Hoi An among the top global travel moments while TripAdvisor readers has also remarked the ancient town on the popularity of the festival as a time when “the town trades its electric lights for traditional colored lanterns”.
