Hue

According to the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, free entry will also be offered at several of the relics belonging to the UNESCO-recognised Hue Complex of Monuments, located in Thua Thien-Hue Province, on the first three days of the Lunar New Year, or from February 19 to 21.

A host of activities will also liven up several spots in the country’s imperial capital during Tet, including royal games, lion-dragon-kylin dancing, and performances of calligraphy, traditional music, and martial arts.

Foreign tourists are shown watching the re-enactment of a royal procession during Tet at Hue Royal Palace in Thua Thien-Hue Province

Khai Tuong Edifice, part of the An Dinh Secluded Palace, which was inaugurated in late December last year, is also open to tourists for free from January 20 to March 30.

Da Nang

Four spots in Da Nang will also glitter with spectacular 15-minute firework shows on Lunar New Year’s Eve. The spots are Hai Chau District’s Nguyen Van Troi Bridge, Ngu Hanh Son District Sports Center, the area in front of Lien Chieu District’s Administrative Center, and Hoa Vang District’s Monument.

The Rong (Dragon) Bridge

The local People’s Committee announced on Friday last week that one of this year’s Tet festivities is a major flower street which will span from Bach Dang Street to the west side of Rong (Dragon) Bridge. The street will run from February 9 to 24 and costs some VND5 billion (US$233,013).

Part of it will be dedicated to a light garden, which features five towers of glasses, large circles of LED lights, and bouncing music.

The city will also host street music performances along Bach Dang Street and “tuong” (traditional opera) plays.

Hoi An

Authorities in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, have decided to provide tourists with free entry to UNESCO-recognised Hoi An Ancient Town and other relics in the vicinity for four days over Tet.

Free entrance to the ancient town will be available on Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first three days of the lunar new year, or February 18 to 21.

Twenty-one other relics will also be open for free during these four days, including Cau (Bridge) Pagoda, Cam Pho Temple, Quan Cong Shrine, local museums, Quan Thang, Duc An, Phung Hung and Tan Ky Old Houses, the Tran Lineage’s house, Chinese souvenir houses, and three tombs dedicated to Japanese merchants Gu Sokukun, Tani Yajirobei, and Banjiro.

Lanterns designed for Tet are seen in Hoi An City

Festive activities are also to run in Hoi An Ancient Town, including a “neu” (long bamboo pole) erecting ritual, which will take place in several relics from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the 7th day of the new year, or February 18 to 25.

A “neu” erection, which sees different objects of symbolic meaning hung onto a lanky bamboo pole, is a long-standing Tet rite to worship gods, ward off evil spirits, and pray for good luck.

A Tet fair will kick off at 10:00 pm on Lunar New Year’s Eve at Hoai River Square and in Hoi An Garden.

Performances of “bai choi,” a folk game and form of art found in 11 provinces in the central region, will also be held at cultural centers in Hoi An from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the 3^rd day of the new year.