Christmas in Ba Be National Park
Christmas in Vietnam is a unique cultural mix, where Christians and non-Christians participate together in the festivities.
Christmas in Vietnam, a short introduction
In Vietnam, celebrating Christmas is a relatively recent custom, then that we owe to the French settlers, settled in Indochina during the 19th century.
If some Portuguese and French missionaries testified to having celebrated a Christmas mass in Vietnam in the 16th century, it is the opening of the Blue Dragon Country to the outside world, initiated by the economic policy of Doi Moi in the late 1980s, which really popularized this typically Western festival.
Nowadays, Christmas in Vietnam is a special atmosphere, festive, popular and good-natured, where Christians and non-Christians come together to share moments of peace and joy, each according to their beliefs.
Celebrate Christmas in Vietnam today
If Christmas is obviously first of all a religious holiday, we see in Vietnam a kind of large commercial mass in which shops, restaurants and other brands compete for promotional offers.
Vietnamese people love Christmas trees, lights and candles. In addition, they like to eat traditional Christmas foods, such as buche, gingerbread and sweets. Churches, houses and shops are adorned with lights, garlands and other flashy objects. Families and friends gather in churches to pray and receive communion, others gather to share a meal often similar to that of the Vietnamese Tet and to exchange gifts. In big cities like Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang, we like to stroll in the streets decorated and dizzying animation, surrounded by the sound of Vietnamese Christmas music, while Santa Claus scooter parades and shows help to make this holiday a period full of good humor and atypical.
Did you know that? In Vietnam, Christmas is not a holiday, so most shops, restaurants and sights are open on December 24 and 25.
Christmas celebrations in the Northern Provinces Vietnam
Considered the cradle of Catholicism in the Land of Palanches, the provinces of Ninh Binh and Nam Binh (in northern Vietnam) list many Catholic families who celebrate Christmas with fervour. They attend midnight mass, sing Christmas carols and stage the nativity by installing sumptuous nativity scenes on the forecourt of churches.
Did you know that? Ninh Binh has the largest concentration of churches in the country, including the impressive Phat Diem Cathedral, remarkable for its unique architecture, mixing Eastern and European influences. It is also the seat of Catholicism in Vietnam.
Even further north, the regions of Tonkin and Upper Tonkin Vietnam offer beautiful landscapes, which can be enjoyed especially during the Christmas period. You can for example visit the mountains of Sa Pa, the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai or Pu Luong, Halong Bay or Ba Be Lake. So many destinations to admire nature, hike, kayak or bike… and enjoy the local cuisine !
Christmas in Ba Be National Park
Appreciated for its wild beauty easily accessible from Hanoi, the Ba Be National Park is an exceptional natural heritage, refuge of a rare and diversified ecosystem. During Christmas time, enjoy the legendary lake, one of the world’s largest natural freshwater lakes, explore caves, hike through the jungle… and rest at Ba Be Jungle Houses.
Did you know that? Ba Be National Park hides a cave now known as «Son Doong of North-Vietnam», in reference to its big sister located in Phong Nha – Ke Bang (Central Vietnam), whose wild beauty and geological interest, but also accessible (and much cheaper).
Christmas in Ba Be National Park is an opportunity to experience the culture and traditions of local ethnicities, such as the Tay, Nung, Dao and Hmong, in addition to offering opportunities for hiking on land and underground, kayaking, biking or boating.
Ba Be Jungle Houses is the ideal starting point: Jungle Resort located in the heart of the Park, this homestay is designed and built according to the architectural rules of the local ethnic groups, especially the wooden house on stilts, typical of the Tay ethnic community. The accommodations combine comfort with natural and local authenticity, offering a unique experience of immersion in Vietnamese culture.
Connected to nature and local communities, experience a Christmas holiday like no other in the Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan Province, North Vietnam!
Follow this link to know all about Ba Be Jungle Houses (where it is, how to get there, what to do…)
