VietNam Tet tradition revived

Red River Delta’s Tet tradition is revived ahead of Lunar New Year

The opening ceremony featured a grand procession from the Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center at 50 Dao Duy Tu Street to Kim Ngan Communal House. 400 people dressed in traditional costumes proceeded along streets to the communal house, where a ceremony was held to offer sugar coated fruits, lotus tea, Chung (square sticky rice) cake, Com (young green sticky rice) cake, and peach blossoms to the deities.

The participants shared their joy at the festival:

"I woke up at 5 a.m. to prepare. This is my first time participating, and I feel proud and happy to help recreate Tet street scenes from the past."

"Seeing young people in traditional costumes during the busy year-end days is inspiring. Events like this promote our cultural identity."

"Everyone around me was also wearing traditional costumes, which made me feel a strong sense of patriotism. This is an opportunity to promote Vietnamese culture to international friends. Many foreigners along the parade route took pictures with us."

At the opening ceremony, people performed the “Reporting to the village genie” ritual, worshiped craft founders, erected a Tet bamboo pole, gave calligraphy demonstrations, and performed folk music.

Nguyen Duc Binh, a member of the organizing committee, said: "The highlight of the ceremony is the recreation of the community procession to honor the village genie. Young people today are enthusiastic about traditional culture. For instance, many of them stayed up all night preparing costumes and makeup for the parade. Their energy makes these events really special."

Running until February 28, the program offers a variety of cultural activities, including decorating traditional Tet spaces to reflect the calligraphy, folk music, and traditional arts of the Red River Delta and old Ha Noi families.

Quang Nam: Tra Que vegetable village hosts Cau Bong festival

Annually, the festival is held on the seventh day of the lunar New Year. This year, this day falls on February 4.

The festival gives an opportunity for local people to express gratitude to the village's founders and pray for favorable weather conditions for the whole year, bumper crops and peace for Tra Que villagers.

Fifty-five year-old Ho Anh, a villager, said that local people were excited with the news that the village was named the Best Tourism Village in 2024 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). It came from the villagers’ production efforts. This award, according to Ho Anh, was a source of encouragement for them to strive more to develop Tra Que vegetable village stronger.

The People’s Army Newspaper would like to introduce several photos of the festival in 2025.

Bac Giang: A destination of cultural identities and green experience

The northern province of Bac Giang, a home to a number of unique heritages and fresh nature, has become an ideal destination for tourists who love a combination of tradition and green experience. Its poetic landscapes and special historical relics in line with distinct tourism products fascinate travelers from near and far.

In every early spring, the special national relic site of Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Tri Yen commune, Bac Giang city is a favourite destination for visitors, where is the center of Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism space.

Coming to this pagoda, visitors have opportunities to eye and discover the unique artistic architecture of the buildings including the three-entrance gate, three-jewel building, tower garden, a wide range of Buddhist statues, stone steeple and inscriptions.

Especially, the 3,050 woodblocks of Buddhist scriptures engraved on the wood of gold apple tree were recognised the world documentary heritage in the Asia-Pacific region by UNESCO.

The provincial People’s Committee annually holds the Culture and Tourism Week in early new year to promote the land of Bac Giang, which is potential for development with friendly and hospitable people.

Apart from Vinh Nghiem pagoda, the province is recorded to have over 2,300 relics, many of which were recognized tourist sites.

According to Nguyen Huu Toan, former Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Bac Giang is endowed with beautiful landscapes, abundant relic systems and special festivals to develop spiritual, ecological and community-based tourism.

In order to form attractive destinations, the all-level party committee and government in the province have implemented many solutions to create “new wind” for tourism development.

Particularly, the Executive Committee of the provincial Party Committee issued the Resolution No 112 dated June 15, 2021 on tourism development for the 2021-2025 period, towards 2030 while the provincial People’s Council provided a Resolution regulating support policy for development of community-based tourism in the province for the 2023-2030 period.

Thanks to engagement of the levels, sectors and localities, a number of tourist sites and destinations have been established in the province such as Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex (in Son Dong district), Suoi Mo tourist site (in Luc Nam district), Xuong Giang Victory historical site (in Bac Giang city) and Bo Da pagoda (in Viet Yen township).

In lychee and citrus seasons, the gardens in Chu township and Luc Ngan district welcomed hundred thousands of visitors.

The community tourist site of Green Ven village in Xuan Luong commune, Yen The district has become well-known, where visitors can immerse themselves in the special cultural space of Cao Lan people.

It is also home to many specialties like forest honey, mountain snail, bamboo shoot and precious herbals, which tourists can buy as presents for their relatives and friends.

Quang Ninh launches Tet tree-planting festival

The launching ceremony of the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) tree-planting festival, themed “Forever grateful to Uncle Ho”, was organized on February 3 (or the 6th day of the first lunar month) at Phong Du commune in Tien Yen district (Quang Ninh province).

Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nghiem Xuan Cuong, affirmed that the Tree Planting Festival has become a major celebration and a unique cultural tradition held across the country. The movement of tree planting, afforestation, sustainable forestry development, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation has been actively supported by the entire Party, people, and military.

Thanks to continuous efforts, Quang Ninh province’s forested area has remained stable and increased yearly, with improving forest quality. The forest coverage rate has been steadily maintained at 55%.

In 2024, the Typhoon Yagi (Typhoon No. 3) caused massive damage, resulting in 128,873 hectares of forest in the province being destroyed. The forest coverage rate was estimated to drop to 42%, with total damages exceeding 5,000 billion VND. This not only caused significant economic losses but also produced direct impacts on the living environment.

The Spring Tree Planting Festival of the At Ty Lunar New Year 2025, therefore, should be seen as a motivation for the recovery and restructure of the province's forestry sector with an attempt to sustainable development, he highlighted.Vietnamese people have a special annual tree planting festival, which highlights the country’s traditional custom initiated by President Ho Chi Minh in the spring of 1960, in the hope of greening up the country.

From then on, when spring and Lunar New Year (Tet) festival draw near, ministries, sectors, localities, agencies, organisations and people respond to the tree planting campaign, turning the festival into the nation’s annual custom and reducing erosion and floods.

Growing more trees generates huge potential of wealth for every family and society. For urban areas and industrial parks, trees help create beautiful landscapes, reduce environmental pollution and keep the air clean for sustainable development.

Quang Ninh province has taken constant reforestation and afforestation efforts to increase forest cover. The afforestation movement has contributed to improving people's awareness of forest protection in economic development.