Happy Vietnam

The centuries-old rice paper craft of Tho Ha village, Van Ha ward, Bac Ninh province, has been officially recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage, honouring a traditional livelihood passed down through generations.

Amid the fast-paced life of Hanoi, there is a small, peaceful corner where the soft sound of needles against fabric blends with the laughters of disadvantaged children every day. Here, woollen threads are woven into vivid artworks – not only with colour, but with determination, love and faith in life.

Thirty four hot air balloons were featured at the Sa Dec Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival from December 31, 2025 to January 3, 2026 at Sa Dec Square. VNA Photo: Nhựt An

In the rocky highlands of Tuyen Quang province, Lung Tam village continues to preserve the traditional hemp-weaving craft of the Hmong people, turning simple fibres into textiles rich in cultural identity and heritage.

The provincial People’s Committee held a New Year flag-raising ceremony and welcomed the first tourists of the year to the land of “Blue Sea – Great Forests” at Dai Lanh Cape (Mui Dien) in Dak Lak province – known as the first place on Vietnam’s mainland to welcome the sunrise on the first day of the New Year 2026, January 1. Photo: Tuong Quan – VNA

Amid the lively atmosphere of the first day of 2026, on the morning of January 1, 2026, at the Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An Ward, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a ceremony to welcome the first tourist group visiting Hoi An Ancient Town in 2026. Photo: Doan Huu Trung – VNA

Brilliant fireworks illuminated the sky over Hanoi on the evening of December 31, 2025, amid the joyful and festive atmosphere of residents and visitors welcoming the New Year 2026. Photo: VNA

A multi-layered light flyboard performance was staged for the first time on the Dong Nai River in Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province, on December 30, 2025, combining sound, lighting and modern technology and drawing thousands of spectators. Photo: Le Xuan - VNA

The Party Committee of Trieu Viet Vuong commune, Hung Yen province onDecember 29, 2025, announced the decision to establish the Party Cell of Minh Phuc Gold Joint Stock Company. This is the first commune in Hung Yen to set up a Party organization within an enterprise following the implementation of the two-tier local government model. Photo: Manh Khanh – VNA

The Steering Committee for the Protection of the Party’s Ideological Foundation and the Fight against Wrong and Hostile Views of the Government Party Committee (Steering Committee 35) held a conference in Hanoi on December 29, 2025, in Hanoi to review its work in 2025 and implement tasks for 2026. Nguyen Hoa Binh, Politburo member, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Head of Steering Committee 35, chaired the conference. Photo: Pham Kien – VNA

A grand ceremony praying for national peace and prosperity was solemnly held atop Ba Den Mountain on December 30, with the participation of more than 500 senior monks, monks and nuns, along with a large number of Buddhists and local residents.

In 2025, the Quang Tri branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies implemented 17 policy credit programs, with total lending reaching 3,884 billion VND, supporting nearly 64,500 poor households and policy beneficiaries; total outstanding loans by the end of 2025 reached 12,012 billion VND, up 9.5% compared to 2024. Photo: Nguyen Linh – VNA

The Steering Committee for Digital Transformation in Party agencies held a conference on December 29 to review digital transformation work in Party agencies in 2025 and outline key tasks and solutions for 2026. Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, Head of the Steering Committee attended and chaired the conference. VNA Photo: Phương Hoa

The mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai in the northern province of Lao Cai is famous for its magnificent terraced rice fields that make it a tourist magnet. However, during December and January, the remote district has something more than terraced rice fields to attract tourists. From mid-December to the end of January, the pink To Day flower (also known as the forest peach blossom) adorns landscape of the mountainous district, from the majestic forests to every small village. With the To Day flowers in bloom, dotting the mountain peaks with pink, it’s the best time to visit Mu Cang Chai. VNA Photo: Tuấn Anh

One of the highlights of Sa Dec Flower Village is a “heart”-shaped installation combined with the image of the Vietnamese national flag, arranged from around 1,700 pots of fresh flowers. The giant floral “heart,” covering an area of approximately 70 square meters, is made from 1,600 pots of flowers such as periwinkle, pico chrysanthemum and pompon chrysanthemum. The floral flag is created using 100 pots of red firecracker flowers and yellow pico chrysanthemums. This impressive installation, located at the Tan An Flower and Ornamental Plant Production and Supply Cooperative (Sa Dec Ward), is attracting a large number of visitors for sightseeing and photo-taking. Photo: Nhut An – VNA

Early on the morning of December 25, the first visitors reaching the summit of Fansipan in the northern province of Lao Cai were delighted to witness a rare and spectacular natural scene as ice coated the peak in white. With temperatures hovering between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius, frost and ice covered the summit area, creating an ideal condition for tourists eager to admire icy scenery, clouds and experience a Christmas atmosphere amid a sea of cold mist. Photo by courtesy/VNA

Na Khuong is a small village nested in the vast forests of Nghia Do commune in the northwestern mountainous province of Lao Cai. Here, in humble stilt houses, the Tay ethnic people resiliently preserve their cultural values amid the fast-paced society.

The UNESCO recognition of the Yen Tu–Vinh Nghiem–Con Son–Kiep Bac complex as a World Cultural Heritage site marks a historic milestone affirming Yen Tu’s outstanding values, while opening new opportunities for international development. The world heritage status is expected to provide a strong boost to tourism in Yen Tu in particular and Quang Ninh province in general.

After consecutive floods at the end of 2025, Tra Que vegetable village (Hoi An Tay Ward, Da Nang City) is gradually recovering thanks to the diligence of local farmers. Across Tra Que’s fields, green hues are steadily returning after the natural disasters. Each vegetable bed is cultivated not only to supply the Lunar New Year market but also to help revive the village’s signature experiential tourism activities. With resilience and determination, Tra Que villagers are reaffirming the vitality of their traditional craft village, aiming for a stable harvest and a vibrant new year welcoming visitors. Photo: Khoa Chuong – VNA

Vietnam's total trade in 2025 reached about 920 billion USD, up 16.9% year on year. Of the total, exports were valued at 470.59 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 15.9%, while imports amounted to 449.41 billion USD, up 18%, resulting in a trade surplus of around 21.2 billion USD.