Vietnam cancels festivals amid deadly typhoon Yagi impacts

Authorities in the southern beach city of Vung Tau have halted all main activities of the Ong Thang Tam Festival, also known as the Whale Festival, scheduled to take place from Sept. 14-20.

A procession during the Ong Thang Tam Festival, known as Whale Festival, in Vung Tau City in 2023. Photo by Hac Minh

The traditional festival honors the whale god, who is believed to bring fortune to fishermen and rescue those in danger at sea.

In previous years, the festival featured processions, folk games, and fishing-related competitions.

In the northern province of Tuyen Quang, a series of activities for its annual Thanh Tuyen Mid-Autumn Festival have also been canceled.

Thanh Tuyen is the largest Mid-Autumn festival in Vietnam, with several records confirmed by the Vietnam Guinness Book of Records, including the most unique and largest Mid-Autumn lantern models, the largest Mid-Autumn Festival tray, and the largest pair of lanterns in Vietnam.

The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival in Hai Phong, one of the areas hit by the typhoon, has also been postponed.

The organizing board announced that this year's event will take place 10 days later than usual instead of the 9th day of the 8th lunar month (Sept. 11) as previously.

On Sept. 11, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center in Thua Thien-Hue Province also announced the postponement of its international lantern festival and a series of other activities for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which peaks on Sept. 17.

Hoang Viet Trung, director of the center, said that the postponement "aims to share the losses and difficulties with people in northern provinces who are being affected by floods."

Millions of people in the northern region have been struggling for days with flooded homes, power outages, and destroyed infrastructure after typhoon Yagi swept through the area last weekend, with the death toll now reaching 233.