Tết Trung Thu 2027 — Vietnam's Mid-Autumn & Mooncake Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu) falls on 15 September 2027, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Although not a public holiday, it is one of Vietnam’s most beloved cultural celebrations. The festival is particularly special for children and families, featuring lanterns, mooncakes, and street processions.

What Tết Trung Thu Means

The Mid-Autumn Festival traditionally marks the end of the harvest season and celebrates the full moon. The name Tết Trung Thu means “Festival of the Autumn Moon” or “Mid-Autumn Celebration.” In Vietnam, it has evolved into a children’s festival — a night when parents give their children lanterns and mooncakes, and communities gather to celebrate family and the full moon.

The festival also honours the legend of Cuoi Cau, a man who ascended to the moon carrying a banyan tree — a distinctly Vietnamese story that differs from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival’s focus on Chang’e, the Moon Goddess.

Tết Trung Thu Celebrations in Vietnam

Lanterns: Paper and silk lanterns in the shape of stars, fish, and butterflies light up streets and markets in the weeks before the festival. Children carry these lanterns in evening processions — a magical sight in any Vietnamese town.

Mooncakes (bánh trung thu): Bakeries and confectioners produce elaborate mooncakes weeks ahead. Unlike Chinese mooncakes, Vietnamese mooncakes are often softer, with fillings of mung bean paste, egg yolk, and meat. The designs on the pastry tops are intricate and artistic.

Lion dances: In major cities, lion dance troupes perform in the evenings leading up to the festival. These are less formal than Tết’s lion dances — community groups often dance through neighbourhoods and hawker centres.

Street markets: Temporary markets sell lanterns, mooncakes, toys, and sweets. The night-time atmosphere is festive and busy, with families strolling and children running between stalls.

Fireworks: Fireworks displays light up major cities in the evenings, particularly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.

Best Places to Experience Tết Trung Thu

Hanoi: The Old Quarter is particularly atmospheric during Tết Trung Thu, with narrow streets filled with lantern displays and crowds of children. Hoan Kiem Lake sees gatherings in the evenings.

Ho Chi Minh City: District 1 and the Chinatown area (Chợ Lớn) are vibrant with celebrations. Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street often hosts organised events.

Hội An: The Ancient Town’s Japanese Bridge and riverside are beautifully lit with lanterns. Many of Hội An’s restaurants and cafes offer mooncake-tasting events.

Huế: As a cultural capital, Huế hosts elaborate celebrations with lion dances and lantern processions through the Imperial City.

The Children’s Focus

What distinguishes Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival from its Chinese counterpart is its strong emphasis on children. Known colloquially as Tết Thiếu Nhi (Children’s Festival), the occasion is when adults give gifts to children — new clothes, toys, and of course lanterns. Schools organise lantern-making competitions in the weeks before. Neighbourhoods host children’s performances, storytelling, and group lantern parades in the evenings.

On the night of 15 September 2027, children in most Vietnamese towns lead processions through their streets, lanterns raised high. Community organisations often stage drum dances (múa trống) and lion dances specifically for children. It is a genuinely joyful occasion — one of Vietnam’s warmest and most photogenic festivals.

Traditional Performance: Múa Lân (Lion Dance)

Lion dances are a fixture of Tết Trung Thu celebrations. Community groups — often youth associations or martial arts clubs — perform the múa lân in the evenings before and on the festival night itself. Troupes move through neighbourhoods, visiting businesses and homes to drive away bad luck. In Hội An, Hanoi’s Old Quarter, and Ho Chi Minh City’s Chợ Lớn (Chinatown), multiple troupes operate simultaneously, making the streets dramatic and loud with drums and cymbals.

Practical Information for Visitors

Unlike Tết (Lunar New Year), the Mid-Autumn Festival does NOT disrupt travel or commerce. Shops, restaurants, and attractions remain fully open. Public transport runs normally.

Best time to visit: The evenings of 14–15 September 2027 are when celebrations peak. Streets are busy but not congested — it is a relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere.

Lantern prices: Paper lanterns for children cost approximately 20,000–100,000 VND (under $5 USD as of 2027). Mooncakes range from around 30,000–200,000 VND depending on quality and filling.

Photography: The lantern-lit streets and full moon make for excellent photography, especially after dusk. Hội An’s riverside is one of the most photogenic settings in the country — the combination of lantern-lit water and ancient facades is exceptional on festival night.

Moon sighting: The festival falls on the lunar full moon — 15 September 2027 by the Gregorian calendar. Weather permitting, the moon rise over Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake or Hội An’s Thu Bon River is itself worth staying up for.

For more on Vietnam’s festival calendar, see our guides to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, or our practical travel info.