This year, the festival coincides with the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). The festival has an even deeper, more sacred meaning with Vietnam accelerating the 500-day campaign to search for, recover, and identify the remains of fallen soldiers.
The Vu Lan Festival of Buddhism is intertwined with Vietnamese cultural traditions of filial piety and paying gratitude to those who have rendered service to the nation.
Da Nang city has recently celebrated the festival at Ngu Hanh Son mountain, holding Buddhist prayer rituals for the souls of the deceased, for national heroes and fallen soldiers, and for national peace and prosperity.
Lay Buddhist follower Do Thi Dieu Hoa said: “Vu Lan Festival is a time to express our gratitude and filial devotion to our parents. The ceremony at Ngu Hanh Son mountain is a meaningful occasion to remind younger generations of the tradition of “Drinking water, remember its source.”
Celebrating this year’s Vu Lan Festival, pagodas have organized activities for monks, nuns, followers, and lay Buddhists to express gratitude to those who have rendered service to the nation, both living and deceased.
In Hanoi, a music program called “Gratitude for our parents 2026” will be held Thursday evening to honor filial piety and family bonds.
This year, the program will expand the meaning of filial piety from family love and gratitude to appreciation for the community, homeland and nation. It will also honor fallen heroes, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and all those who sacrificed their lives for Vietnam’s independence and freedom.
