Various activities were held in localities across the country on February 11 (the fourth day of the first Lunar month) to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2016, reported Nhan dan newspaper.

Poem recital and artistic activities will be performed at the Vietnam Poetry Day 2016, to be held in Hanoi on February 22 or the 15th day of the first lunar month.

VOV.VN - As Tet approaches, Vietnamese from all parts of the country return home for family reunions. These days, family clan worshiping houses are being decorated to welcome family members who are returning for Tet.

Imperial maids in the royal capital city of Hue during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1905) had charming beauty with fair and smooth complexions. Their beauty secret was the nu (bud) powder.

As Vietnam's economy shifts further toward a market economy, art and entertainment establishments, which used to be under the sponsorship of the state now have to sink or swim on their own merits.

Spring is considered the season of festivals for ethnic minority people, and each ethnic group has their own festivals reflecting their customs, beliefs and farming practice. However, all of them share the wish for prosperity and happiness in the new year.

VOV.VN - An old Tet fair in the northern region is being reproduced at Ecopark, one of the largest green urban areas in Hanoi.

VOV.VN - Thousands of domestic and international pilgrims and tourists are visiting Huong (Perfume) Pagoda at the beginning of the Year of the Monkey, wishing for peace, good weather, happiness and prosperity.

The values of the Mo Muong, a unique cultural heritage of the ethnic Muong who live in the northern province of Hoa Binh, was the main theme of a recent workshop held in the province.

VOV.VN - Foreign ambassadors have extended happy lunar New Year wishes to Vietnamese friends by singing songs, reciting poems and writing calligraphy.

VOV.VN - The traditional Boat Racing Festival in BinhThuan province is held annually on the second day of the Lunar New Year on Ca Ty river. 

Like most other nations in Asia, the Vietnamese welcome the New Year according to the lunar calendar, and Tet Nguyen Dan (the lunar New Year Day) has long become the biggest festival of the nation.

Hue Festival 2016 will take place from April 29 to May 4 with various culture, sport and art activities.

Long Tong (going to the field) is the most typical agricultural festival of the Tay, a big ethnic minority group living in the northern mountain region with a population of over 1.6 million.

Two sons continue their father's tradition of creating quality handmade guitars, each with their own personality, despite the long-standing presence of cheaper imported instruments.

The Ha Nhi people in northern mountainous Dien Bien province celebrate their traditional New Year festival (Tet) on the first dragon day in December, which fell on December 11, 2015.

 With over 1,000 years of history, Hanoi has been Vietnam’s centre of Buddhism for centuries.

Visitors to Ong Do (Confucian teacher) road along the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House are familiar with the image of an elderly man in traditional long dress writing calligraphy sentences surrounded by young colleagues.

The first visitor of the New Year is very important to Vietnamese because they he or she is believed to decide the luck of the host for the entire year. Traditionally, the visitor is a member of the family or a good friend.

More than 400 children are learning about traditional Vietnamese paintings and raising money for charity.

VOV.VN - Tet, the first festival in a lunar year, is of great importance to the Vietnamese and people in some other Asian countries. 

VOV.VN -The Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) is a golden opportunity for foreigners living, working and touring this time of year to gain a better understanding of the country’s customs, traditions, and people.

Passing down through generations and continued with equal enthusiasm today, “Xong dat” (first footing), a Tet tradition in Vietnam, has always been associated with hopes for a fruitful year ahead. 

 "Banh Chung" (square glutinous rice cake) is a traditional cake of Vietnamese people in Tet holidays.

Authorities of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have devised a series of measures to preserve and promote cultural identities of ethnic minority groups, which account for over 45 percent of the locality’s population

Eighty-three-year-old Meritorious Artist Nguyen Thi Ban has devoted her life to preserving “Quan ho” (love duet singing). 

VOV.VN - The evening has set, and Tran Huu Phuoc sits in front of his house to sing bai choi, a traditional music genre, after a hard day's work.

With over 1,000 years of history, Hanoi has been Vietnam’s centre of Buddhism for centuries. The city has more than 600 temples and pagodas, many of which are not only religious relics but also popular tourist sites.

VOV.VN - In the tiny village of Thanh Tien on the outskirts of Hue, a tradition of paper flowers craftsmanship has been handed down from one generation to another for more than three centuries. 

Ancestor worship, an ancient Vietnamese tradition, is a ritual practice paying tribute to deceased family members and reminding people of their roots.