Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet 2026: A springtime journey through Hanoi’s living heritage
For the Lunar New Year, the city is scaling up its flagship cultural program, Tet Viet - Tet Pho (Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet), turning the heritage precinct around Hoan Kiem Lake into an immersive showcase of traditional Tet.
THE HANOI TIMES — As the Lunar New Year approaches, Hanoi’s Old Quarter enters its most evocative season, with narrow streets glowing in spring colors and centuries-old traditions returning to everyday life, setting the stage for Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet 2026, a journey through the capital’s living heritage.
Reenactment of the traditional New Year’s pole-raising ceremony at Kim Ngan Communal House. Photo: Huy Pham/ The Hanoi Times
Running from January 17 to February 11, the program transforms the Old Quarter into an open-air cultural space celebrating the rituals, aesthetics and communal spirit of traditional Tet (the Lunar New Year).
Jointly organized by the Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board and the Hoan Kiem Ward People’s Committee, the event underscors the city’s efforts to preserve heritage while keeping it accessible to contemporary audiences.
The official opening ceremony will take place at 9 AM on January 17 at the Cultural and Arts Center, 22 Hang Buom Street - one of the Old Quarter’s historic arteries long associated with trade, craftsmanship and festive life.
From this point, the celebration will ripple through surrounding streets, reconnecting urban spaces with the rhythms of traditional Vietnamese spring.
More than a seasonal festival, Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet 2026 invites residents and visitors to experience Tet as it has been lived for generations through familiar streets, shared rituals and the quiet continuity of cultural practices that define Hanoi’s identity.
Display of narcissus flowers for Tet. Photo: VnEconomy
The emotional highlight unfolds at O Quan Chuong Gate and Kim Ngan Temple, where a traditional procession and the ceremonial raising of the New Year’s pole take place, along with horse performances by the Vietnam Equestrian and Archery Club, which symbolically welcome spring while linking historical memory with contemporary expression to offer shared cultural experiences.
Through Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet 2026, Hanoi reaffirms its role as a steward of both tangible and intangible heritage, as the program positions Tet as a catalyst for cultural tourism and the creative economy, while introducing younger generations to living traditions.
It also portraits Hanoi as a creative city where heritage and modern urban life converge at the start of spring.
Bach Hoa Bo Hanh traditional costume parade. Photo: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times
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The Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet 2026 Center for Cultural Exchange (No.22 Hang Buom Street) January 17 to February 20: Traditional Tet space highlighting Northern Delta customs; Vietnamese Spring Market - Street Tet 2026 showcasing handicrafts, traditional village and Tet products. February 8, 8 PM - 10 PM: Spring poetry performance. February 12, 9 AM -12 AM: Banh chung (square sticky rice cake) wrapping practice; 12 AM - 10 PM: Banh chung cooking; 2 PM - 4:30 PM: Discussion on traditional and contemporary Tet practices, followed by a heritage walk in traditional attire from 22 Hang Buom Street to the Old Quarter Spring Flower Market on Hang Luoc Street, Hoan Kiem District; 8 PM - 10 PM: Ca tru singing performance. Vietnamese Heritage House (No.87 Ma May Street) January 17 to February 20: The exhibition recreates a traditional Hanoi family’s living space during Tet, highlighting the craft of carving and shaping narcissus flowers. Dong Lac Temple (No.38 Hang Dao Street) 20 January - March 1: Lacquer painting exhibition “The Colors of Hanoi in the Year of the Horse.” Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (No.40 Lan Ong Street) January 17 to February 20: Tet herbal tea tasting Ho Guom Cultural Center (No.2 Le Thai To Street) January 17 - February 11: Art exhibition and Tet-themed decorative space; 8 PM, January 24: “Nhac Ta Nha Pho” (Folk Performance at the Street House). Old Quarter Centre for Cultural Exchange, Quan Chuong Gate and Kim Ngan Temple: 6:45 AM - 11 AM, February 8: Bach Hoa Bo Hanh (Parade in Vietnamese traditional costumes); Traditional “Opening of Quan Chuong Gate” procession; cavalry performance, and New Year’s pole-raising ceremony. |
