The people of Hue, no one knows exactly since when, but on the full moon (15th day) and the first day of each lunar month, many eateries close, and quite a few meat and fish stalls at the market also stop selling. Many places that normally serve meat-based dishes switch to vegetarian food instead.

As part of the celebrations for Vesak 2570 (Buddhist Era) and Hue Festival 2026, the Vegetarian Food Festival - Hue Festival 2026 officially opened on the afternoon of May 28th (the 12th day of the fourth lunar month) at the riverside area along the Perfume River. The event is jointly organized by the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hue City and the Organizing Committee of Hue Festival 2026.

On May 28 and 29 (corresponding to the 12th and 13th days of the Lunar April), Nguyen Dinh Chieu Pedestrian Street will be transformed into a large-scale and distinctive vegetarian culinary space for the Vegetarian Food Festival - Hue Festival 2026.

Hue Ancient Capital is a paradise for vegetarian cuisine. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, even restaurants that usually serve meat often switch entirely to vegetarian dishes. This is hardly surprising, given that Hue is one of Vietnam’s major Buddhist centers, a land steeped in spiritual traditions, where eating vegetarian food has become a beautiful cultural feature.