The Quan The Am festival is Da Nang’s largest Buddhist festival, held every year at the Marble Mountains from the 17th to the 19th day of the second lunar month, with the main ceremonies on the 19th. It honours Quan The Am, the bodhisattva of compassion, and centres on Quan The Am pagoda at the foot of the mountains.
In 2021 it was added to Vietnam’s list of national intangible cultural heritage. It usually falls in March or April; in 2026 the main day was 6 April. The mountains are at their busiest during the festival.
Festival days, planned around the crowds
If your dates fall on the festival, our guides reorder the morning so you see both the celebrations and the caves.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursSee the tour →When is the Quan The Am festival?
The festival follows the lunar calendar, so its dates move each year. It runs over three days, the 17th, 18th and 19th of the second lunar month, and the 19th, the traditional feast day of Quan The Am, is the main day.
In the western calendar that places it in March or April. In 2026 it fell in the first week of April, with the main day on 6 April; in 2027 it will fall in late March.
What happens during the festival?
The festival has two parts, as most Vietnamese festivals do: the rites and the festivities. The rites are Buddhist ceremonies led by monks and nuns at Quan The Am pagoda and other sites in the Marble Mountains, including processions and prayers for peace and good harvests. Performers dressed as the bodhisattva are part of the pageant.
The festivities around them include folk games, music and cultural performances, and a large gathering of Buddhists and families from Da Nang and the surrounding provinces.
How did the festival begin?
The festival grew from celebrations of Quan The Am’s feast day at Quan The Am pagoda in the mid-20th century, around the dedication of the pagoda and its statue. It lapsed for many years and was revived in 1991, since when it has grown into one of the largest Buddhist festivals in central Vietnam.
On 3 February 2021 the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added it to the national list of intangible cultural heritage. It sits alongside the other recognitions of the Marble Mountains: the stone-carving craft of Non Nuoc village and the carved inscriptions on the hills, described in the guide to the inscriptions.
Should you visit the Marble Mountains during the festival?
If you want to see a major Vietnamese Buddhist festival, yes: it is colourful, devout and open to visitors who behave respectfully. If you want quiet caves and easy stairways, avoid the three festival days, when the roads around the mountains and the paths on Thuy Son are at their busiest.
Either way, dress as for any pagoda and start early. The caves themselves are described in the caves of the Marble Mountains.
Visiting in March or April?
Tell us your dates and we will say whether the festival falls on them, and plan the morning around it.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone Carvers5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern Light10 hoursSee the tour →Quan The Am festival: quick answers
When is the Quan The Am festival in Da Nang?
From the 17th to the 19th day of the second lunar month each year, with the main day on the 19th. In the western calendar it falls in March or April.
Where is the Quan The Am festival held?
At Quan The Am pagoda at the foot of the Marble Mountains in Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang, and at related sites across the mountains.
Is the Quan The Am festival a heritage event?
Yes. It was added to Vietnam’s national list of intangible cultural heritage on 3 February 2021.
Can tourists attend the Quan The Am festival?
Yes. Visitors are welcome at the festival, provided they dress modestly and do not disrupt the ceremonies.
See the mountains on the right day
Choose your group size and the price covers the day: pickup, private car, licensed guide, every ticket and water. Free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursfrom$39/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$135BOOK →2 guests$140BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$155BOOK →See the full tour page →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursfrom$89/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$265BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$325BOOK →4 guests$355BOOK →See the full tour page →Festival dates and heritage status were checked in September 2026; dates follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed each year.