The combination between traditional culture and modern lifestyle have created a distinction of Hoi An on Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays. Let’s experience the distinction of the old town through a homestay tour themed “Celebrating Tet holidays with Hoi An”, which has attracted a large number of visitors.

From a fairy tale

“Celebrating Tet holidays with Hoi An” homestay tour is held annually in Vuon Trau (Betel Garden), by Thanh Nam fishing village, which features lush bamboo and green trees. Starting from December 29th (lunar month), visitors and their homestay families decorate their houses and make traditional cakes for Tet such as banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) or banh tet (cylindric glutinous rice cake). They have the opportunity to understand Vietnamese traditional customs on Tet holidays. On New Year’s Eve, while cooking banh chung and banh tet in sparkling candle lights, they listen to a story about betel and areca told by Vo Thi Le, the owner of Vuon Trau, who prepares betel quid and a piece of areca for red lips.

On the last day of the year (lunar month), the family has banh chung or banh tet for breakfast, and then makes pickled vegetables and goes to the flower market to choose their favorite flowers to decorate their house before the Lunar New Year. During the day, they have a party and make offerings to their ancestors.

On the first day of the Vietnam Lunar New Year, visitors in traditional costumes, ao dai and scarves, will go to a pagoda and burn incenses at houses of worship and the tombs of their ancestors. In the afternoon, they visit relatives, friends, join in traditional games to wish for good luck in the new year, and then burn incenses at some communal houses and pagodas in the old town.

Deborah and Michel Schafer, from Switzerland, recorded their impressions and feelings in the autograph book of Vuon Trau: “After five nights here, we found out that this place is very nice and the people here are very friendly. At first, we intended to stay in only two nights, but they brought us a cozy vacation on Tet and we didn’t want to leave!”

To Chinese Tet holidays

Before Tet holidays, streets such as Tran Phu, Le Loi and Nguyen Thai Hoc, are brightly embellished with flowers and red parallel sentences in front of doors. The gates of worship houses are decorated with flags and Chinese words written on red paper, which is a message of Chinese people in Hoi An for a peaceful and prosperous new year when the spring comes.

Thai Ke Nghiep, a Chinese man on Tran Phu street, said, “For more than five centuries, our ancestors have adapted local customs but also kept our traditional values. Red parallel sentences are indispensable on the occasion of Lunar New Year and I am very happy that many families in Hoi An like this decoration.”

The old town is splendidly decorated with parallel sentences on pieces of red paper, which hold their owners’ wishes, such as the parallel scrolls including four words, Dinh Tai Luong Vuong (prosperity), Xuat Nhap Binh An (good journey), “Ngu Phuoc Lam Mon” and “Ngu Phuoc Tam Da” (five blessings: wealth, position, longevity, good health and security). Inside the houses, many “fu” words (blessings) written in Chinese are pasted up side down and “man” are glued on wardrobes and jars of rice.

Tran Van An, Deputy Manager of the Center for Management and Conservation of the Hoi An Old Town, said, “A Chinese community of 4,000 people live in Hoi An. For over five centuries, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, this community gathers to share their difficulties and play their traditional games for both adults and children. Their activities attract a large number of participants. Other communal houses such as Trieu Chau and Quang Dong also organize Thien Cau dances to wish for good weather and thriving business.”

Tet festivals

Hoi An hosts numerous festivals at the beginning of the Vietnam Lunar New Year. In the foggy morning, people join in Cau Bong festival of the traditional Tra Que vegetable village to wish for a bountiful season.

Festive flags of the village, hang highly, drums and gongs, ancient music, local people, who are dressed in ceremonial costumes and carrying trays of five fruits, walk along streets. Cakes and fruits, joss-sticks and flowers are arranged on the altars to pray in the festival. Tran Ke, a farmer, said, “Offerings include a boiled cock with a flower in his mouth and a bamboo knife in his back, five dishes of steamed glutinous rice with five bright blooms and a cup of rice wine.” The festival attracts visitors for its vivid activities.

On Tet holidays, the old town is jubilant with a variety of folk games such as Bai Choi singing, pot breaking, ceramics making, folk songs or poem chanting. Visitors can immerse themselves in the beauty of this landscape by tasting local cuisine along the Hoai River.

Visitors can indulge in garlands and colored lanterns on the river while enjoying local cuisine and resounding traditional music. Visiting Hoi An, you will have a chance to taste an abundance of specialties such as dumpling, pork pies, cao lau (rice pancake with pork meat and shrimp), Quang’s noodle, luc tau xa (green bean sweet soup) glutinous rice cake, soya cake, green bean cake or special tea served by Hoai Pho’s ladies

“This party is simple but luxurious and modern. Particular dishes and restaurants, which are distinctively decorated and served, or culinary customs contribute to making the old town unique to its guests in spring”, said Vo Phung, Director of the Hoi An Center for Culture and Sports.

From a fairy tale

“Celebrating Tet holidays with Hoi An” homestay tour is held annually in Vuon Trau (Betel Garden) (Read The custom of Betel Chewing and Thuoc Lao smoking), by Thanh Nam fishing village, which features lush bamboo and green trees. Starting from December 29th (lunar month), visitors and their homestay families decorate their houses and make traditional cakes for Tet such as banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) or banh tet (cylindric glutinous rice cake). They have the opportunity to understand Vietnamese traditional customs on Tet holidays. On New Year’s Eve, while cooking banh chung and banh tet in sparkling candle lights, they listen to a story about betel and areca told by Vo Thi Le, the owner of Vuon Trau, who prepares betel quid and a piece of areca for red lips.