Held annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the festival is a traditional ritual in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. During feudal dynasties, the event was celebrated differently among royal families and ordinary people.

Works on display at the exhibition.

Under the Later Le Dynasty (1533 - 1789), kings would host a ritual to pay tribute to ancestors and a banquet to give fans to all mandarins during the festival. The fans were conferred to the recipients to bring them good blessings, health and luck.

Works on display at the exhibition at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi include a 2.4m-wide fan with a poem penned by King Le Hien Tong in 1503; and replicas of fans used by the kings, queens, and mandarins; and a reproduction of a shop on Hang Mun Street (now Hang But Street) in Hanoi in the past.

Several customs practiced during Doan Ngo Festival, including washing hair with herbs and taking saunas, are also introduced to visitors on the occasion.

Traditional Tet food offerings to ancestors

During the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, each ethnic group in Vietnam has its own culinary specialties that reflect the culture of their people and are used as offerings to worship their ancestors.

Kitchen Gods ceremony a tradition of Tet

The Vietnamese traditional New Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on February 4 this year, with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.

Young man passionate about traditional wooden houses

Setting up his career at the age of 18, Hoang Van Ngoc (born in 1993) in Tay village, Tien Luc commune (Lang Giang district) had difficult times he ever thought he could not overcome. But those challenges have forged and helped him get successes today. Currently, Ngoc is the owner of a large bungalow manufacturing facility in Lang Giang district, creating jobs for dozens of local workers.

Sip on Central Highlands coffee in a traditional Ede wooden house

Tucked in a humble setting with lots of greenery, Arul Coffee in Dak Lak Province is a popular spot for coffee for locals and tourists alike.

Cultural heritage travel helps preserve traditions

Tours to various heritage sites across Vietnam are attracting an increasing number of travelers, helping spread the spirit of cultural preservation.

Source: NDO