Tet Nguyen Dan
Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnam's festival)
Most Vietnamese festivals are fixed by the lunar calendar: The majority take place in spring, and the days of the full moon (day one) and the new moon (day fourteen or fifteen) are particularly auspicious.All Vietnamese calendars show both the lunar and solar (Gregorian) months and dates (Please check with our staffs for the exact date).Visitors may experience difficulties during this period as shops, restaurants and public services close and prices tend to go up in the few shops that remain open.
Foreign visitors to Vietnam rise sharply during Tet
The Noi Bai International Airport received over 1,000 foreign holidaymakers during the first three days of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, according to the airport’s Border Customs Agency.
Travelers were mostly from Europe and overseas Vietnamese who visited their homeland for the Tet holiday.
Flower markets in Hanoi bustling for Tet
Traditional flower markets in Hanoi such as Quang Ba, Quang An and Hang Luoc were crowded with buyers. Every buyer carefully selected peach flower branches and bouquets to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet holiday) 2011.
Danang’s full of flowers for Tet
Despite the gloomy weather, an abundance of colourful flowers, here to welcome the new year, could be seen in the streets of Danang.
The flower markets were opened on January 29. They can be found on many streets, such as Ham Nghi, Nguyen Huu Tho, Nguyen Ven Linh and Square No. 29/3.
Chuon village’s secret recipe for Tet cakes
An Truyen village, also known as Chuon, in central Vietnam, has been famous for Tet cakes since the reign of King Bao Dai.
On the 24th of every lunar month of December, hundreds of households in An Truyen Village, Thua Thien-Hue Province, start making Tet cakes made from sticky rice.
VN welcomes first New Year foreign visitors
Japan’s cruise liner Pacific Venus carrying 550 tourists and crew docked at the Saigon Port on Feb. 3, the first day of the Lunar New Year, becoming the first foreign visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.
The tourists, mainly Japanese, are on a five-day trans-Vietnam tour from Jan. 31 arranged by Saigontourist travel agency. They visited Ha Long Bay, Da Nang central city, Hoi An ancient town and Hue imperial city.
Banana markets flourishes in Khanh Hoa on Tet
In these days, villagers in Suoi Cat commune, central Khanh Hoa province, are busy selling bananas as votive offerings for Tet.
For years, bananas have been among five major fruits that are placed on the altars of many families in Vietnam on the festival.
Tet tours still available
Many tours are still available for customers during the upcoming Lunar New Year festival, according to travel agencies and hotels.
These tours are 'free and easy' tours, mainly in foreign countries, due to lack of domestic air tickets. Travel agencies only provide air tickets and accommodations to customers as they will design their own tours themselves.
Tet’s holiday banquet
According to customs and habits of Vietnam, there are 3 important rendezvouses: with deities, with ancestor and with family members. Due to geographically difference, the Tet’s holiday banquets are different between each area.
Jetstar Pacific gives red packets to passengers for New Year
On the first day of the Lunar Year 2011 (February 3rd), the budget carrier, Jetstar Pacific, will carry out a program of giving “Lucky red packets”, worth VND 60 million, to its passengers, said an official of the carrier.
On the first day of the New Year, the airline expects to welcome about 6,000 passengers, and give a gift to each of them. It has been a common practice of the airline in recent years to wish “Happy New Year” to its passengers.
