Dinh Thay Thim Festival 2026

   At the temple of Dinh Thay Thim in La Gi, a centuries-old legend comes back to life once a year. Rites, palanquin processions and folk games fill the grounds as the coast honours a healer and his wife who, the story goes, chose to live and help among ordinary fishing folk.

   In brief:

• — Solemn worship rites at the temple
• — Processions and the carrying of the palanquin
• — Folk games and coastal contests
• — A fair and folk-troupe performances
• — Rites of thanks and remembrance for Thầy and Thím

   At the heart of it is the legend of Thầy and Thím. The names belong to a revered Taoist folk healer from Quảng Nam and his wife: by tradition, they settled in this region and helped the poor — treating the sick, building boats and rescuing fishermen in trouble. They came to be honoured as protectors, and a temple, Dinh Thầy Thím, rose over their memory in the 19th century.

   The festival traditionally falls in the ninth lunar month and is built as a rite of gratitude and remembrance: people come to thank the patrons for their help and to ask for good fortune. Today this living tradition is inscribed on Vietnam's list of national intangible cultural heritage.

   It draws those after the quieter, deeper side of Vietnamese culture: pilgrims, families and travellers curious about local beliefs and coastal life. The mood is respectful and unhurried — incense, drums, processions in traditional dress, and the bustle of a fair around the temple.

   The festival is open to everyone — you are free to come to the temple and watch the rites.