At the park’s main gate on Dien Bien Phu Street are three replicas of traditional houses complete with ancestral altars and Tet feasts representing the country's three regions.

Hugh shows off a piece of cake and a calligraphy that reads "Tai Loc," which means money and luck, that he got at the Vietnamese Tet Festival 2024.

Hugh, a visitor from the U.S., stumbled upon the event while walking past Le Van Tam Park. He was curious about Tet celebrations, about which he did not know much.

A stall offering calligraphy caught his attention. After getting an explanation about the tradition of having calligraphy done during the Lunar New Year, he was suggested the word tai loc, which literally means "money and luck," a common wish that Vietnamese often give each other during the Lunar New Year.

He said: "I've been in Saigon for five years but never had the chance to celebrate Lunar New Year. This tradition of receiving calligraphy is entirely new to me. Having this handwritten piece is great."

Hugh was amazed at the calligrapher’s skill and the meaning behind each word. He was told that tai loc means luck, success at work and a good life.

He was also invited by the artisans to taste banh thuan (steamed cupcakes), a specialty of central Vietnam

Looking around for stalls with Vietnamese dishes, Hugh said: "I really like Vietnamese food and hope to try many dishes during this festival."

Other foreign tourists also joined the fun, taking in Vietnamese Tet customs with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

Stalls showcasing to he, a traditional toy made from glutinous rice powder, the chung cake (square rice cake) making area and stalls with traditional food caught the eye of many foreign visitors, who stopped to take photos and participate in the activities.

This year's event has some 100 stalls with specialties and products from around the country. There are also areas for visitors to learn about Tet traditions like wrapping chung without molds and making to he. There is also an area for traditional games like tug of war, can throwing, breaking pots while blindfolded, and mandarin square capturing.

Visitors can take part in activities such as wrapping banh chung at the Vietnamese Tet Festival 2024.

Le Minh Canh, 36, a stall owner selling Quang Nam-style noodles, said he and his colleagues have set up a spot for visitors to try making noodles by hand.

"The Vietnamese Tet Festival in HCMC, where many tourists gather, is a chance for me to share local culture with both domestic and foreign tourists."

Nguyen Van Dung, vice chairman of the city People's Committee, said the event offers an opportunity for locals and tourists to explore the country's culture and cuisines and the country's various regions to promote their products.

To run until Jan. 21, the festival offers free admission and expects to receive over 80,000 visitors.

It is set to become an annual event.

Thu Duong noodle village enters Tet season

BAC GIANG - It suddenly turned from sunny to rainy, signaling the arrival of a new cold spell. The clouds were gloomy, the north-east monsoon got stronger. I was quite worried that this weather would cause people in the Thu Duong traditional chu noodle village in Nam Duong commune, Luc Ngan district to stop working because they could not dry the products. Even so, I still decided to set out, as I had a feeling that tomorrow would be sunny.

Over 2.6 million USD to support Hanoi needy labourers on Tet occasion

The Hanoi Federation of Labour plans to provide support for over 115,000 trade unionists and labourers living in difficult circumstances in the city on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, with a total amount of 65 billion VND (2.65 million USD), according to the federation’s Chairman Pham Quang Thanh.

Hanoi students to get 8-day Tet break

Over 2.3 million students in Hanoi will get an 8-day Tet break this year, the same as last year.

Yen The hill chicken "capital" busy for Tet

BAC GIANG - These days, chicken farmers in Yen The district, Bac Giang province are excited because diseases are put under control and favorable sales boost the prices of chicken and chicken products, promising good income. They are busy taking care of chickens to sell on the Lunar New Year (Tet).

PM presents Tet gifts to disadvantaged workers in Hai Duong

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented gifts to disadvantaged workers and the poor in the northern province of Hai Duong on January 10, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) 2024.

Source: VnExpress