April has great significance in the Vietnamese calendar. Here are some highlights…
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Hung Kings — April 9th
This is the anniversary of Hung kings. The first Hung king was Kinh Duong Vuong (King of the Vietnamese People), who came to power in 2879 BC. Over time he was responsible for bringing about the political union of ancient tribes located in the north of present day Vietnam and to the former south of China. These ancient tribes formed a unified state named “Van Lang”. This became the first state of Vietnam. Kinh Duong Vuong founded the Hong Bang Dynasty, whose descendants ruled Vietnam until 258 BC.
Annually, millions of Vietnamese travel to the Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phu Tho Province (85km northwest of Hanoi) to pay tribute to all the Hung Kings. A procession starts at the foot of the mountain and stops at every temple on the ascent before pilgrims offer prayers and incense to the Hung Kings when they reach the Hung Temple.
Reunification Day — April 30
Reunification Day signifies the event in modern history when the North Vietnamese army and its guerrilla support groups captured Saigon. The Vietnam War officially ended and a new period in time began where, North and South Vietnam unified to become the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Saigon was renamed as Ho Chi Minh City in 1976. Hanoi is the present day Capital city for the unified nation.
Nowadays, you may hear Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City used, even in one discussion. This is quite a unique situation, but everyone is relaxed so no need to worry. Here are some quick hints and tips:
- Formal paperwork – always use Ho Chi Minh City
- Airlines – both
- Local people – follow the lead of the person you are chatting to or ask your guide for advice
Reunification Day — May 1
Labor Day is the annual celebration of the social and economic accomplishments of the nation’s workers.
Labor Day and Reunification Day are taken together and depending on when they fall, up to 4 days may be observed.
Impacts:
- Closed: Banks, post offices, schools and education, public offices, business offices. Note that Friday 2nd May have limited opening times or still be closed.
- Open as normal: Tourism services such as transport, restaurants, museums…
As a guest to Vietnam you may experience a slight increase with transport on the roads, decrease in public transport ticket availability e.g. trains, or decrease in hotel availability. However, not as many Vietnamese travel during this period as they would at Tet (New Year) early in the annual calendar, or mid-year during the June/July school holidays. You will experience an increase in people out and about enjoying special activities on offer, spending time together, or eating out as a family. This makes it a great time to interact with locals!