Cultural festivals take centre stage in Tet tourism push
Vietnam is set to welcome a surge of domestic and international tourists during the 2025 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday as destinations nationwide are preparing to showcase their distinctive cultural festivals and traditional celebrations.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the country hosts nearly 8,000 festivals annually, demonstrating the rich cultural identities and historical heritage of its ethnic groups. Aside from their cultural and spiritual significance, many festivals also involve various tourism offerings, helping improve livelihoods and incomes for local people.
Along with traditional festivals, many localities have launched new themed celebrations based on their economic and cultural strengths, including fruit festivals, tra fish festivals, flower festivals, and gift festivals.
Tourism insiders held that distinctive cultural features, manifested through Tet customs, ancestral worship ceremonies, cultural – historical sites, and culinary specialties, are key ingredients for cooking up tourism offerings to lure both domestic and international visitors. They said the more unique the local culture is, the more memorable and profound the tourist experience becomes.
The capital city of Hanoi, which saw impressive tourist arrivals during the 2025 New Year, will continue the momentum with various attractions. The pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake will host traditional activities while suburban areas will feature a flower festival in Me Linh district, tours to famous flower villages in Thuong Tin district, and agritourism experience in Phuc Tho district, among others.
Notably, nighttime cultural experiences, including the “sacred night” tour to Hoa Lo Prison and the “Decoding the Thang Long Imperial Citadel” tour, are expected to lure throngs of visitors.
Other spectacular series of events to welcome the Year of the Snake comprise an international light festival in Tay Ho district on January 18, at 8:00 pm, followed by the "Brilliant Thang Long 2025" programme at My Dinh National Stadium and the nearby F1 racing circuit area on January 28, from 9:00 pm to midnight – the Lunar New Year's Eve.
A highlight of Hanoi's celebrations will be 15-minute fireworks displays on January 29, starting midnight, to welcome the Year of the Snake. The displays will take place at 30 locations across the city, including nine sites combining high-altitude and low-altitude fireworks, and 21 with low-altitude displays across the 30 district-level localities. The municipal Department of Culture and Sports will also organise various cultural and musical performances to celebrate the New Year.
In northern Ninh Binh province, along with renowned tourist destinations such as Trang An, Tam Coc – Bich Dong, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Thung Nham Bird Park, and Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve, and Hoa Lu Ancient City, there is a countdown festival and a traditional spring market with nearly 100 booths.
The central city of Da Nang is preparing to welcome visitors with its signature Dragon Bridge spitting fire and water shows, harbour bridge rotations, a fireworks display, Tet fairs, and the Quang Da Culinary Festival, alongside traditional spring markets and cultural exhibitions.
Ho Chi Minh City, crowned Asia’s leading festival and event destination, will arrange such major events as a floating flower market, a Vietnamese Tet festival, and its iconic Nguyen Hue Flower Street.
Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre plans to highlight its coconut culture through immersive Tet experiences, folk games, and local culinary delights.
