Happy Vietnam

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

Spring has fully blossomed across the islands of Truong Sa district. To ensure soldiers and residents in this island district can celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) with joy and peace of mind, a variety of cultural and sports activities have been organised. On New Year’s day, the soldiers and residents of Sinh Ton Island visited the local temple to offer incense and ring the bell, praying for a peaceful year ahead. This was followed by sports activities that brought together officers, soldiers, and residents. VNA Photo: Hữu Quyết

A ceremony was held on January 22 morning (the 23rd day of the final month of the Year of the Dragon) at Thang Long Imperial Citadel to showcase the traditional rituals of Kitchen God farewell and Neu pole erecting (a tall bamboo tree with red garment strips used to ward off evil spirits during Tet). The program re-enacted the rituals during the Lunar New Year that used to take place in the ancient Thang Long Imperial Citadel, expressing the wish for prosperity for the country and peace and prosperity for the people. VNA Photo: Thanh Tùng

Vietnam's leading retailer Saigon Co.op has stockpiled more than 12,000 tonnes of essential goods traditionally consumed for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday in late January, or 30-50% higher than normal. Most of them are goods meant for the market stabilisation programme, like rice, sugar, cooking oil, pork, poultry meat and eggs, processed foods, vegetables, fruits, and seafood. The rest include other foods and Tet specialties. Other supermarkets such as Go!, BigC and Tops Market (under Central Retail Vietnam), Aeon, Satra, and WinMart are also busy preparing for the year-end shopping bonanza, having stockpiled sufficient essential goods for Tet. VNA Photo: Trần Việt

In the last days of the lunar year, the traditional craft village of Trang Cat (Thanh Oai, Hanoi) is bustling with local farmers busy harvesting dong leaves for making chung cake for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. As Tet draws near, Trang Cat villagers enter their main harvesting season of dong leaves (Stachyphrynium placentarium) – used as a wrapping for various food items in Vietnamese cuisine, especially chung cake (glutinous square rice cake) – the traditional and indispensable Vietnamese dish during Tet. Chung cake is a traditional Vietnamese cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung bean, pork and other ingredients. VNA Photo: Phạm Tuấn Anh

There is no busier time than Tet for Thuy Tram village in the northern province of Phu Tho. It is a time of high demand for the village’s famous produce, red carp. Thuy Tram village in Phu Tho province is a famous red-carp raising area in the north. The produce is distributed in many parts of northern Vietnam during Ong Cong Ong Tao or (the Kitchen God) festival which takes place on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. VNA Photo: Tạ Toàn

A programme entitled Tet Viet-Tet pho 2025 (Vietnamese Tet – Old Quarter Tet 2025) celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) 2025 has opened at Kim Ngan communal house, Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district. VNA Photo: Thanh Tùng

Thuong Loc crispy orange - a specialty of Can Loc district, has become a famous brand of Ha Tinh. Gardeners are busy harvesting oranges to serve people during the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet). VNA Photo: Hoàng Ngà