In Hanoi, countdown events will begin at 7 p.m. on December 31 at the Ly Thai To flower garden and the August Revolution Square in downtown Hoan Kiem District.

A group of Spanish tourists drink beer on Bui Vien pedestrian street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

There will be an electronic music concert featuring big V-pop names such as Soobin Hoang Son, Toc Tien, Min, Tuan Hung, and Da LAB band at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square by the iconic Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake. Cultural activities and folk games will be on in the nearby pedestrians-only zone.

Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city, will ring in the New Year with firework displays, a 3D lighting show, and a musical countdown.

The 15-minute fireworks displays will begin at midnight at the Landmark 81, the country's highest building in Binh Thanh District, and at the Thu Thiem Tunnel area that links Districts 1 and 2 and Dam Sen Park in District 11.

On December 31 and January 1 nights there will be a lighting show using 3D mapping techniques at the city People’s Committee office in District 1. Downtown streets will be decorated with lights.

A concert by pop star Son Tung M-TP will be held on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street on New Year’s Eve.

In Da Nang, the country’s third largest city and a popular tourist destination, there will be celebrations at the September 2 Square.

A 15-minute fireworks display will light up the sky at 9 p.m. after the countdown party. For many years, the central city, famous for its annual international fireworks festival, has been popular with foreign tourists.

HCMC, Hanoi and Da Nang are among 100 most visited destinations in the world, according to the annual Top City Destinations Ranking report released last week by the U.K.-based global business intelligence firm Euromonitor International.

The ancient town of Hoi An, a neighbor of Da Nang, will also have lots of events. An Hoi Sculpture Garden will host an event at 9.30 p.m. featuring an arts performance, a lottery and a singing contest. There will be a fireworks display near the Hoai River.

In the south central province of Ninh Thuan, a grand music festival and a fireworks display will take place from 9:30 p.m. at the April 16 Square in Phan Rang-Thap Cham, the capital of Ninh Thuan.

An art program will be held at Phan Thiet, home to the popular resort destination of Mui Ne in the neighboring province of Binh Thuan, from 8 p.m. at the Nguyen Tat Thanh Square, followed by a fireworks display.

The UNESCO heritage site of Ha Long Bay will host a concert featuring well-known pop singers and DJs at the October 30 Square from 8 p.m.

Around 5.2 million foreigners visited Ha Long Bay last year, or 30 percent of the country’s 15.6 million foreign tourist arrivals.

Phu Tho Province, around 100 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi, and home to the famous Hung Kings Temple, will welcome the new year with fireworks displays and art programs.

Da Nang rings in the new year 2018 with a fireworks party on Han River.

Letting off fireworks has long been a tradition during important festivals and major national celebrations like Reunification Day on April 30 and Independence Day on September 2.

As disposable incomes rise and the country becomes increasingly open to the outside world, Vietnamese have begun to celebrate foreign festivals like the New Year, Christmas and Halloween with enthusiasm.

The country’s GDP growth is among world’s highest over the past decade. Vietnam’s GDP growth of 7.02 percent this year exceeded the parliament’s target of 6.6-6.8 percent as well as forecasts by several international organizations.

Global real estate consultant Knight Frank earlier this year said the number of extremely rich individuals in Vietnam is set to grow at the fastest rate in the world, by 31 percent in the next five years.

Five-fruit trees, plants shaped like rats popular for Tet

Farmers in the Mekong Delta are growing new flower and plant varieties such as five-fruit trees and rat-shaped plants for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, which falls on January 25 (Year of the Rat).

Tet gifts presented to soldiers on Truong Sa, DK1 platform

Gifts have been presented to soldiers on the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and the DK1 offshore platform ahead of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Vietnam JMC Co.,Ltd to spend over 4 billion VND as laborers’ Tet bonus

(BGO) – To welcome the upcoming 2020 Lunar New Year (the Year of the Mouse), the leader board of Vietnam JCM Company Limited in Hong Thai commune, Viet Yen district (Bac Giang province) decided to spend over 4 billion VND (over 172,500 USD) to give Tet bonus to the laborers.

First Vietnamese Tet festival to be held in southern Japan

A Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival will be held for the first time in Fukuoka, the largest city in Japan’s Kyushu island, on January 12, 2020.

Provincial Chairman Duong Van Thai extends Tet greeting to Embassy of Japan in Vietnam

(BGO) – The Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee Duong Van Thai and leader of the Department of Foreign Affairs on December 12 paid a visit and extended New Year greetings to the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam. The delegates were received by Umeda Kunio, the Ambassador of Japan in Vietnam.   

Source: VnExpress