Traditional lantern procession around Hoan Kiem Lake on the evening of September 25

“Full Moon Festival” 2026 is organized by the Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter in collaboration with Vietnamese Village Communal Club. This is the second year the Mid-Autumn Festival procession has been deployed, continuing the activity of bringing traditional images, products and cultural values ​​of the Mid-Autumn Festival closer to the community in the Hoan Kiem Lake area. A notable new feature in this year’s program is that for the first time, the public has the opportunity to directly admire the Mid-Autumn Festival light system restored and crafted by artists and artisans from groups such as Thong Dong, Cua Na, The Anam… The products are presented in many different materials, designs and forms, from carp lights, moon lights, scroll lights, star lights to familiar animal models. Not only do they create a visual highlight for the procession, the lights also evoke memories of a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. Through the restoration process, toys that have been associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival life of many generations are brought back to modern urban space. One of the highlights of this year’s procession is the appearance of the Pen Tower – Dai Nghien model. Associated with the space of Hoan Kiem Lake, the image of Pen Tower – Dai Nghien is meant to remind Hanoians of the tradition of studiousness and the spirit of valuing knowledge. Together with the paper Doctor model, these symbols add cultural depth to the program, in addition to the familiar images of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The procession is expected to be divided into 14 blocks, opening with lion dance, dragon dance and festival drum performances. Next is the Moon Palace carriage, lamp models, folk toys, ceremonial staffs and lanterns for children. The combination of performance activities, traditional toys and community participation is expected to create a vibrant Mid-Autumn Festival space while still retaining typical cultural values. Within the framework of “Save the Moon in the Old Quarter 2026”, Mid-Autumn Festival activities are deployed at 6 relic sites. In particular, the “Full Moon Festival” procession in the Hoan Kiem Lake area is identified as one of the key activities, connecting the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere from heritage spaces with the residential and tourist communities in the city center. Through the procession, products and values ​​associated with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival are not only displayed but also directly integrated into community cultural life. Residents and tourists can feel the atmosphere of Hanoi’s Mid-Autumn Festival through the light of lights, music, art performances and handicraft products crafted specifically for the program. This year’s festival also introduces more musical compositions for “Save the Moon in Old Quarter 2026”. In it, the song “Moonlight Procession” by Truc Dong will be performed, contributing to creating a joyful atmosphere for the lantern procession around Hoan Kiem Lake. Not only for children, “Full Moon Festival” also aims to create a common cultural space for residents and tourists. Thereby, the program contributes to enriching spiritual life, while creating an additional cultural nightlife destination in the Hoan Kiem Lake area during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The 2026 “Full Moon Festival” lantern procession is expected to take place from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 25, 2026, on the occasion of the Full Moon Festival of the August Year of the Horse. The procession will start from the Hoan Kiem Lake Cultural Information Center at 2 Le Thai To, move around the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian street area and end at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.