Upgrade 3 tours, maximize heritage strengths
According to the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival, in 2026, 3 upgraded tours include the "One Journey 5 Destinations" tour with a journey through 5 relics Kiep Bac - Con Son - Thanh Mai - Kinh Chu - Nham Duong lasting two days.
In which, on the first day, tourists visit Kiep Bac Temple - Con Son Pagoda; experience making Van Yen pottery, printing woodblocks, writing calligraphy, taking photos in ancient costumes, making banh day, drawing conical hats, enjoying Kiep Bac lotus tea, Con Son green bean cake, participating in folk games, shopping at souvenir stalls.
On the second day of the journey, visitors will visit Thanh Mai Pagoda - Kinh Chu cave - Nham Duong Pagoda, explore Thanh Mai maple forest, climb mountains to conquer Duong Nham peak, visit caves and learn about the national treasure of the Ma nhai stele system, make folk cakes, and enjoy local specialties at stalls.
In the day's tour "Following the Footsteps of the Three Ancestors of Truc Lam", visitors come to the journey of Sung Nghiem Pagoda - Thanh Mai Pagoda - Con Son Pagoda. In addition to visiting and listening to the relic explanation, about the activities of the three ancestors of the Truc Lam Zen sect at the relics, visitors can experience the ritual of filming the Nine Lotuses, visit Con Son stream, experience printing woodblocks, writing calligraphy, taking photos in ancient costumes, drinking herbal tea...
Previously, according to the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, in 2025, three heritage tours attracted more than 50,000 visitors, leaving an impression in the hearts of domestic and foreign tourists.
The upgraded "Discovery of Con Son - Kiep Bac Heritage" tour also lasts for two days with the route Kiep Bac - Con Son - Nguyen Trai Temple, Ngu Nhac Linh Tu. In which, on the first day, visitors visit Kiep Bac Temple - Con Son Pagoda, experience making Van Yen pottery, taking photos with ancient costumes, making banh day, drawing lotus hats, enjoying Kiep Bac lotus tea, visiting and shopping at stalls. Along with that, experience filming Cuu Pham Lien Hoa, printing woodblocks, writing calligraphy, taking photos with ancient costumes, enjoying Con Son chrysanthemum tea, visiting and shopping at stalls, cultural exchange, campfire.
On the second day, visitors visit Uc Trai temple, experience Con Son stream; conquer Ban Co Tien, explore Ngu Nhac Linh Tu, visit Nguyen Trai house foundation, Thanh Hu Dong, experience Zen at Bach Van Am, play Chinese chess, cultural exchange, art photography, cuisine and enjoy the fresh air on the top of Con Son mountain, enjoy chrysanthemum tea at Thau Ngoc bridge.
Expanding the scale of the Con Son - Kiep Bac spring festival
Along with promoting tours and spiritual tourism routes, the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2026 takes place from February 26 - March 11 (ie from January 10 to 23 of the Binh Ngo year) with many traditional rituals and unique cultural and sports activities.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung - Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, Head of the Festival Organizing Committee said that the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2026 is a traditional cultural event of particular importance, commemorating the 692-year anniversary of the death of the Third Patriarch Truc Lam Huyen Quang tôn giả (1334 - 2026), and is one of the practical activities of the city to celebrate the success of the 14th National Party Congress.
In particular, this year's festival is organized in the context that the Con Son - Kiep Bac relic complex has just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, marking a new development step and posing higher requirements in the work of preserving and promoting heritage values.
Therefore, the city clearly identifies the task of continuing to strongly innovate the content and methods of organization; improve the quality of rituals, cultural and artistic activities and tourism services; ensure solemn, methodical, professional organization, worthy of the special value of heritage, and gradually build a festival brand of national and international stature.
Also at this year's festival, Hai Phong organized the Week of Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion from February 28 - March 11 with many activities introducing craft village products, OCOP products, typical cuisine, Truc Lam cultural space, cultural and artistic programs and heritage experience activities.
Besides, there is the Heritage Book Festival, specialized exhibition "Heritage Moments"; banh chung wrapping and banh giay pounding contest; procession and offering ceremony of banh chung and banh giay; water procession ceremony; ceremony of worshiping heaven and earth on the Five Musical Instruments; chess tournament, national wrestling tournament; first Hai Phong city firecracker festival; cross-country, semi-marathon "Con Son, Kiep Bac - Journey of World Heritage" with distances of 5km, 10km and 21km.
The first organization of the "Heritage Book Festival" at the Con Son - Kiep Bac World Heritage Site is a step forward in the approach and promotion of heritage values, bringing heritage to the community through the path of knowledge. The festival contributes to systematically introducing historical, cultural, and ideological values associated with Con Son - Kiep Bac and Truc Lam Zen sect. Thereby, improving the effectiveness of traditional education, especially for the young generation, towards preserving and promoting heritage values in a sustainable way.
