The Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival, Wandering Souls Day) is an annual festival in Da Nang Vietnam. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will provide visitors all information about it.
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• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
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• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Better to Know about Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival)
Origin: the Hungry Ghost Festival in Vietnam, known as Vu Lan or Tet Trung Nguyen, originates from the Buddhist legend of Muc Kien Lien, a disciple who saved his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts by following the Buddha’s advice to offer food and prayers to the monastic community. This religious foundation merged with ancient folk beliefs that the “Gates of Hell” open during the seventh lunar month, allowing all spirits—both ancestors and “homeless” wandering souls—to return to the living world to be fed. Today, the festival is a unique cultural synthesis that emphasizes filial piety toward one’s parents alongside the compassionate act of offering food and joss paper to appease restless spirits and prevent bad luck.
Other names: the Hungry Ghost Festival is called Vu Lan in Vietnam because it is a phonetic transliteration of the Sanskrit term Ullambana, which refers to the “liberation” of souls from suffering. While the broader “Ghost Month” focuses on appeasing wandering spirits, the name Vu Lan highlights the Buddhist legend of Muc Kien Lien to emphasize the specific duty of filial piety and gratitude toward one’s parents.
Cultural significances: the Vu Lan Festival serves as a sacred time for Vietnamese people to practice filial piety by honoring their parents and ancestors through prayers, offerings, and the symbolic “Rose Ceremony” to express gratitude for the gift of life. Beyond family bonds, it carries a deep humanitarian significance as a day of universal compassion, where people offer food and rituals to liberate wandering souls and pray for peace for all sentient beings.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours in Da Nang Vietnam. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Hungry Ghost Festival in Da Nang
In Da Nang, since 2017, the Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival) has been held annually. It’s hosted at Am Phu Cave or the Hell Cave and nearby pagodas like Tu Tam Pagoda, Tam Ton Pagoda, Tam Thai Pagoda. Located at the foot of the Water Mountain in Da Nang, Am Phu Cave is a 302-meter-long natural marvel featuring a dramatic vaulted ceiling that reaches heights of up to 50 meters. The cave is famous for its intricate, artist-carved sculptures that vividly depict the “18 levels of hell” and the Buddhist concept of karma, serving as a symbolic journey through judgment and redemption. Visitors can experience the duality of the afterlife by choosing between a dark, winding descent into the “Underworld” or a steep, sunlit climb toward the “Path to Heaven” that leads to a panoramic viewpoint of the Marble Mountains.
To go to Am Phu Cave, go towards to the Marble Mountains (particularly the Water Mountain/Thuy Son) and then find its entrance near the elevator. The Marble Mountains is 1-5km away from city center of Da Nang and about 20km from Hoi An. Visitors can come here by foot (if stay in nearby hotels/beach resorts), taxi, private car/bus, public bus. To enter the cave during the festival, it’s needed to buy a ticket costing 20,000 VND per adult (until 2025).
Update: The Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival, Vu Lan Bao Hieu Festival) in Da Nang 2025:
– Dates: 28th to 30th August (6th, 7th and 8th days of the 7th lunar month)
– Location: Am Phu Cave (Hell Cave), Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, Marble Mountains
– Fee: no fee
– Activities:
+ Praying at Buddha altars inside the Am Phu Cave and/or at pagodas on the top of the Marble Mountains.
+ The Rose ceremony: participants have a rose pinned to their chest. A red rose signifies that one’s parents are still alive, while a white rose honors those who have passed away.
+ Vegetarian feasts: To show compassion and earn merit, many participants switch to a vegetarian diet during this time. Local pagodas often serve free or low-cost vegan meals to visitors and the needy.
+ Releasing the water lantern: Similar to neighboring Hoi An, people in Da Nang gather along the banks of the river to release paper lanterns, sending prayers for the peace of their ancestors’ souls.
+ Appeasing wandering spirits: Outside homes and businesses, you will see small altars with offerings of “thin porridge,” salt, rice, and joss paper (hell money) to feed “homeless” spirits who have no relatives to pray for them.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours in Da Nang Vietnam. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Other Festivals & Cultural Events in Da Nang
Besides Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival), visitors can visit these festivals in Da Nang:
+ monthly festivals:
+ yearly festivals: First Full Moon Festival (Tet Nguyen Tieu), Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu), Dragon Boat Festival (Tet Doan Ngo), Hung Kings Festival, Lunar New Year (Tet Festival, Tet Nguyen Dan), Hungry Ghost Festival, An Bang Beach Food & Music Festival, Cold Food Festival (Tet Han Thuc), Hoi An International Food Festival, Corn Festival, Long Chu Festival, the Buddha’s Birthday (Le Phat Dan), Vu Lan Festival, Balloon Festival, Cau Bong Festival, Cau Ngu Festival,…
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers in Da Nang Vietnam. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Photos, Videos about Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival)
Here are photos, videos about Hungry Ghost Festival (Vu Lan Festival):
