A Tet market, open only once a year for Lunar New Year, or Tet, the country’s biggest and most important holiday, runs from Hang Luoc, Hang Khoai, Hang Ruoi, Hang Ma streets to Phung Hung mural street, offering fresh flowers, ornamental plants and a slew of festive decorations.

The market will operate until Lunar New Year's Eve, which falls on January 24 this year.

Vietnamese have a long tradition of offering fresh flowers to deities and ancestors alongside holiday prayers for luck and peace.

Customers inspect fresh flowers in front of a shop on Hang Luoc Street, known as one of the oldest flower markets in Hanoi.

Nguyen Thi Tan (middle) from Bac Ninh Province, an hour’s drive from Hanoi, said every year she travels dozens of kilometers to the Old Quarter to buy small peach branches and other Tet decorations for her house. Peach blossoms are an indispensable Tet decoration in northern Vietnam.

For the Year of the Rat, many items on Hang Ma Street, famous for selling toys, paper goods and in particular votive paper offerings, take inspiration from the zodiac animal.

The country will enjoy a seven-day Tet holiday staring January 23, two days before Lunar New Year.

A Tet market opens only once a year for Lunar New Year.

This year, handicraft items such as banh chung (square sticky rice cakes), Vietnamese pork sausage, coins, watermelons, firecrackers, and fake peach branches are widely sold.

Hang Ga and Hang Ma streets are dyed red. Many Vietnamese consider red a symbol of luck and prosperity and credit their business success and happiness to divine blessings. Many family maintain the custom of hanging red hand-made scrolls, lanterns or calligraphy in front of their homes.

The market will operate until Lunar New Year's Eve, which falls on January 24 this year.

Railway, aviation to increase capacity to serve Tet

Railway, aviation to increase capacity to serve travel demand during Tet holiday

Hanoi opens trade fair to serve Tet demand

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade kicked off a trade fair, showcasing agricultural products, foods and other commodities, at Thong Nhat Park on January 11 to meet the increasing consumption demand for Tet holiday.

HCM City's residents flock to Tet calligraphy markets

The calligraphy market at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House in District 1 has become a must-visit attraction for residents and visitors for taking photos and buying calligraphy works for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Officials present Tet gifts to poor people, disadvantaged children

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh on January 12 visited and presented gifts to ethnic minority and needy households in the central province of Quang Tri ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Time for Tet means it's time for a bite of banh chung

Tet (Lunar New Year) is fast approaching, and people in Boe Dau village in the northern province of Thai Nguyen’s Co Lung commune are busy preparing banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes).

Source: VnExpress