Happy Vietnam

Vietnam's annual military draft kicked off on February 13 as young citizens across the nation began their journey into national service, marking the first wave of the country's 2025 conscription drive. The recruitment campaign, operating under the 2015 Law on National Defence and recent directives from both the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defence, take place between February 13 and 15. VNA Photo

Located in the heart of Lao Cai province, about 70 km from Lao Cai city, Bac Ha is a remote yet captivating town in northern Vietnam. Known for its vibrant ethnic cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and rich traditions, Bac Ha offers an authentic travel experience far from the well-trodden paths of Sapa. Each spring, the entire Bac Ha plateau adorns itself with the pristine white hue of plum blossoms, exuding the gentle fragrance of spring during the early days of the Lunar New Year. This year’s plum blossom season commences in early February. Pure flowers grace gardens and adorn the front of houses, delicate petals scatter along the roads, transforming the area into a poetic and enchanting natural painting. VNA Photo: Hương Thu

Every year, on the 11th day of the first lunar month, which falls on February 8 this year, Thuy Loi village (Thuy Lam commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi) holds the Sai Temple Festival, featuring the unique "mock King procession" ritual. According to legend, the kings, lords, and court officials of the Thuc Dynasty used to return to Sai Temple in Thuy Loi commune annually to pay homage and express gratitude to Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu, who helped the king complete the construction of Co Loa Citadel to defend against invaders. VNA Photo

"Hat canh” (singing at a host’s house) is considered as the most typical and unique form of Quan ho singing, a folk art in the northern province of Bac Ninh that combines various elements, including music, lyrics and costumes, and features the distinctive culture of people in the region, formerly called Kinh Bac. Singing at a host's house is organized in the house at night as a game between two groups of male and female singers through the match of lyrics and melodies. The antiphonal performance comprises several sections lasting from 7-8 p.m to 2-3 a.m. The duration of a section can be long or short, depending on the singers' repertoire of Quan ho songs. VNA Photo

The Dao ethnic group, with a population of nearly 900,000, consists of subgroups such as the Red Dao, Dao Tien, and Dao Thanh Y, each with its own unique cultural identity, clearly reflected in their traditional attire. The traditional clothing of the Dao Tien in Muong Lat district, Thanh Hoa province, is especially distinctive, offering a vivid glimpse into their cultural life. VNA Photo: Khánh Hòa

In the old days, Dong Ho paintings were used as decorations at every home in the northern delta during the Lunar New Year festival (Tet). Hanging a Dong Ho painting in the home at the beginning of a new year was believed to bring happiness and prosperity for the family. The folk paintings have become part of Vietnamese life through generations and are now used in the modern arts, including painting, sculpture, fashion and pottery. VNA Photo: Hoàng Hiếu

The capital city of Hanoi hosted some 1 million touristsduring the nine-day Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday which began on January 25,marking a 6% increase from the previous year, according to the municipalDepartment of Tourism. International arrivals showed particularly stronggrowth, with about 142,000 visitors, representing a 15.8% rise as compared to2024. The majority of them came from China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan(China), the US, the UK, Malaysia, India, Germany, France, and Japan. Domestictourism also saw healthy growth of 5%, with 859,000 tourist arrivals. VNAPhoto: Minh Quyết

In a vibrant display of cultural heritage, Hanoi’s relic sites of “Thang Long tu tran” (the four guarding temples of Thang Long) have become the focal point of Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations, drawing both locals and foreigners seeking blessings for happiness and peace. “Thang Long tu tran”, comprising Bach Ma, Voi Phuc, Kim Lien, and Quan Thanh temples, have maintained their prestigious position in the cultural and historical tapestry of Hanoi. People flock to the ancient sanctuaries on the first days of the Lunar New Year to enjoy the long-standing traditions as well as embrace spiritual values that foster optimism for their journey ahead. VNA Photo: Minh Đức

Thousands gathered for the Khai ha (going down to the field) festival, the largest traditional one of the Muong ethnic people, in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year. The festival spotlights the vibrant cultural traditions that have been integral to the ethnics’ new year celebrations. This year, it falls on February 5. The celebration honours deities and ancestors who established the Muong territories while seeking blessings for bumper crops and prosperity in the coming year. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt

Students at the Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted had a meeting “Under the glorious flag of the Party” on February 3 to mark the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3). VNA Photo: Thanh Tùng

As of February 3, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake, all agencies and businesses across the country returned to work after the Tet holiday. VNA Photo

Locals in the northern province of Ha Nam joined the festival atmosphere nationwide by celebrating the Buffalo decorating contest within the annual Tich Dien (ploughing) festival on the fields of Doi Tin village, Tien Son commune of Duy Tien town, the northern province of Ha Nam on February 3 (the sixth day of the first lunar month). The contest attracted 20 artists from the region. VNA Photo: Trần Việt

Tet (Lunar New Year) is the most important traditional celebration in Vietnamese culture, a time for families to gather, reflect on the past year, and wish for the best in the new year. VNA Photo: Khánh Hòa

Hundreds of purple ‘mua’ (melastoma) flowers are entering the blooming season at B’Lao tea plantation in Loc Quang commune, Bao Lam district, Lam Dong province, with its striking deep purple bordering on the lush green oolong tea fields. These trees are planted along the edges of the tea plantation, spanning dozens of hectares. From the centre of Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province, it takes about 20 minutes of travel towards DamBri Waterfall to reach the tea plantation and admire the purple flowers alongside the green tea hills. VNA Photo: Nguyễn Dũng

Traditionally, during the first three days of the Tet (Lunar New Year)festival, Vietnamese families go to pagodas and temples to pray for health, happiness and good fortune in the year ahead. Offerings, including flowers, incense and fruit, are given to wish for a successful year for friends and relatives. Visiting pagodas during Tet festival has become an age-old cultural tradition, and an indispensable part in Vietnamese people’s spiritual life. VNA Photo

The first days of the new Lunar year are sacred to the Vietnamese people, the time for everyone to make wishes. During this time, a number of traditional meaningful customs are practised and calligraphy hanging is one of the most beautiful ones. The custom does not only reflect Vietnamese people’s respect for knowledge but helps preserve a time-honoured activity as well. The meaningful characters written on special papers have become the symbol of good luck, worshipping objects for thousands of years in Vietnam. VNA Photo

Peach blossoms are an enduring symbol of Tet (Lunar New Year) festival in the northern region of Vietnam. Traditionally, the Tet holidays are days of relaxation, family reunion, happiness and joy. Just as many people in the West buy pine trees for the Christmas holiday, Vietnamese often buy many types of flowers and plants to decorate their house in the special period. Peach blossoms and kumquat trees are common in the north while southern people prefer apricot blossoms for Tet. VNA Photo

Visiting Tranh Khuc village in the outskirts of Ha Noi these days, it is easy to see the image of families busy packing Chung cakes to serve customers. On average, each household makes 200 - 300 cakes in a normal day. But one week before Tet, their productivity may increase by 10 times. They have trade secret to bring out the typical taste of the Chung cake with sticky rice, buttery green bean, pepper fragrance, and fatty pork. In order to have good cakes, they have to carefully choose rice, bean, pork, and leaves. VNA Photo

The Bonsai kumquat trees of Van Giang district in northern Hung Yen province with their unique shapes and sizes are picking up in popularity among shoppers for Tet decorations. VNA Photo

The northwestern mountainous province of Yen Bai has set a clear goal to eradicate temporary and dilapidated housing by August 30, heard a local conference on January 21 reviewing the housing support programme for low-income households in 2023-2024 and launching the project to eliminate the above-said housing conditions for 2025. VNA Photo: Đinh Thuỳ