Experience Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year at Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Tet, or Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in Vietnam, an occasion for family reunion, so people visit their relatives and friends, prepare and enjoy holiday together.

Tet decoration at Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: Pham Hung.

In celebration of the year of the Buffalo, Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center works with relevant agencies and craft guilds to host traditional cultural and exhibition activities at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel heritage site.

Themed “Welcome to the Buffalo” or “Tan Suu Nghenh Xuan”, the Tet program at Thang Long Imperial Citadel will feature diverse cultural activities such as calligraphy giving, old Tet rituals of Le Trung Hung dynasty (1533 - 1789) re-enactment, traditional Vietnamese painting drawing, folk-games playing, among others.

The program helps visitors experience the festive atmosphere of Tet in ancient times, while fulfilling Vietnam's commitment to UNESCO to preserve and promote the heritage at Thang Long Citadel - Hanoi.

The 'non la' or conical hats are used to adorn outdoor space of Thang Long - Imperial Citadel. Photo: Pham Hung.

In addition, the outdoor decorative space features some salient clusters with conical hats, lanterns, pinwheels, couplets and calligraphy, with the use of different materials such as bamboo, rattan, paper which are all common and friendly to the environment.

The exhibition part called “Welcome to the Buffalo” will introduce some of the beautiful customs still preserved to date such as the tradition of writing couplets, composing the first verses of the year, asking for and giving calligraphy in the first days of spring, all of which bear witness to the tradition of study-fondness, respect for knowledge and scholars, while hoping for good luck, success and prosperity for all in the New Year.

Game people plays in Spring: the Swing. Photo: Pham Hung.

According to the Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center, this is the first time the ritual of “Tien Xuan Nguu” of Le Trung Hung dynasty is re-enacted at the Kinh Thien Palace.

This is an ancient ritual that people will offer a clay buffalo to the God Heaven asking for ‘expelling the cold winter and welcoming the warm spring’ to the nation. This ritual will take place on the 23rd day of the Twelve month of Lunar Calendar or February 2 with a talk of historian Le Van Lan about the ritual as its highlight.