Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, former State President Trần Đức Lương and thousands of monks, nuns, and visitors participated in the event. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc beat the bell and the drum to officially open the festival. The event started with a ceremony setting pigeons free to pray for peace, prosperity, and happiness. This year, the organiser planned the electric-car area to prevent traffic jams and installed a new direction board system. On the first day of the festival, there were about 170 thousand visitors. The festival will last until the end of the 3rd lunar month.
