Lantern Festival in Hoi An

The Nguyen Tieu Festival is a very special event for Asians. And for residents in Hoi An, it is time to display colored lanterns in the ancient town which attracts a large number of tourists every year.
The Nguyen Tieu Festival or Lantern Festival, originating from China, is celebrated on the 15th of the first lunar month. Since 2009, it has become an annual event of Hoi An City.
The Lantern Festival coincides at the time of the year when Hoi An attracts the largest number of tourists. Located on an area of 2 square km, the ancient town welcomes millions of visitors a year. In 2009, tens of thousands of domestic and foreign visitors rushed to the city during the Lantern Festival.
Hoi An’s dwellers are always eager to celebrate the Festival and visitors can see beautiful lanterns in different kinds of shapes hung on every house and along the streets. Many of these lanterns are made by skillful craftsmen nationwide to compete at the lantern competition in the town.
The first lanterns appeared in Hoi An hundreds of years ago. In the past, Hoi An was a famous trading port where many businessmen from China and Japan came to do business and lived in the town. Some Chinese lit their lanterns when they missed their hometown.
According to some elderly people in the city, Hoi An’s lanterns had been created and made by local residents. In the past, old lanterns were usually made in large shapes for rich houses. Then, skillful craftsmen of Hoi An created and produced smaller beautiful lanterns.
At present, workmanship for lanterns has improved greatly. A lot of lanterns with wonderful decorations and different shapes have been created. Current lanterns are made with different materials to give them a beautiful and colorful look.
When lanterns are lit at night, they create a cozy and amazing atmosphere. In particular, the ancient town of Hoi An will be filled with dazzling bright streets with hundreds of lit lanterns. Thus, visitors can see the beauty of the ancient houses in daytime and colorful lanterns at night.
The Lantern Festival, with it’s many wonderful images of lanterns, has become one of the best springtime tourist attractions in Hoi An for visitors to discover.