The festival is scheduled to take place from May 18 to 30, featuring more than 10 days of activities that highlight the life, legacy, and cultural significance of the late leader.

Key events will include flower and incense offering ceremonies at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial House in the Kim Lien Special National Relic Site, as well as at Chung Son Temple. A ceremonial procession carrying President Ho’s portrait and the official opening ceremony of the festival are also scheduled.

Notably, the event will coincide with the announcement of a government decision to recognise the Kim Lien relic complex as a national tourism site, marking a new milestone in promoting heritage-based tourism in the region.

A series of thematic exhibitions will also be held, including displays commemorating 115 years since President Ho departed Vietnam to seek a path for national salvation, and 80 years since his call for nationwide resistance. Another exhibition will showcase the nationwide network of museums and memorial sites dedicated to Ho Chi Minh.

In addition, the festival will feature the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Kim Lien relic site, along with a range of cultural and tourism activities. Among them is the Rural Market space, offering immersive experiences of traditional village life, and the inauguration of the Nine-Tier Waterfall project at the resting place of President Ho’s mother, Hoang Thi Loan, within the Kim Lien cultural tourism area.

The Sen Village Festival originated from the “Sen Village Singing Festival,” first launched in 1981. In 2002, it was elevated to a provincial-level annual event, with a nationwide-scale edition held every five years to coincide with President Ho’s birthday.

Over the years, the festival has attracted large numbers of domestic visitors, overseas Vietnamese, and international tourists, becoming a key platform for cultural exchange and heritage promotion.

The festival is not only a tribute to Ho Chi Minh, recognised as a national liberation hero and a great cultural figure, but also an opportunity to promote his ideology, morality, and lifestyle among the public.

At the same time, the event plays an important role in promoting Nghe An’s cultural identity and tourism potential, contributing to the development of sustainable tourism linked to historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage.

Sen Village is the paternal hometown of President Ho Chi Minh. It is where he spent his childhood years living with his family before accompanying his parents to various other regions.

The village is closely associated with the image of simple thatched houses and the rustic landscape of the North-central countryside. This environment played a significant role in shaping the early foundations of President Ho Chi Minh’s character and his deep love for his homeland.

Today, Sen Village forms an important part of the special national relic site of Kim Lien, serving as a place of historical and cultural significance for people across Vietnam who wish to learn more about the life of the late president.

Sen village festival marks President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday

The central province of Nghe An is running the Sen Village Festival from May 16-19 in Sen Village in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh, as part of activities to celebrate his 127th birthday.