Tours

Hanoi’s Lunar New Year Celebration Showcases Vibrant Northern Ethnic Heritage

19 January, 2026

THE HANOI TIMES — As gongs resonate through the wooden stilt houses and the winter air fills with the scent of incense, women adorned in handwoven brocade and village elders meticulously prepare age-old rituals. These scenes evoke the spirit of Tet, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, weeks before the holiday officially begins.

The Thay Mo, a revered ritual specialist of the Muong ethnic minority, leads prayers and offerings believed to ensure good health, favorable weather, and bountiful harvests. Photos: Lai Tan/ The Hanoi Times

These captivating moments are part of the “Returning to the Village to Welcome Spring” program, scheduled for January 17–18 at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Doai Phuong Commune, Hanoi. This event is a highlight of the “Tet in the Village” series, celebrating the arrival of spring and the Lunar New Year in the capital.

Beyond its appeal as a tourist attraction, the program aims to immerse participants in the enduring customs, rituals, and artistic traditions that define the communal life of northern Vietnam’s ethnic groups. Many of these practices remain unfamiliar to international visitors, making the event a unique cultural experience.

Beginning on January 17, the Muong ethnic village comes alive with activities that recreate the vibrant Tet festivities of Vietnam’s mountainous regions. Traditional folk songs and dances, inspired by agricultural life and spiritual beliefs, offer visitors a glimpse into how local communities welcome the new year.

Audience engagement is at the heart of this experience, as visitors are invited to join communal circle dances and bamboo pole dances, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of gongs and drums. These ceremonial instruments symbolize unity and collective strength, deeply rooted in highland cultures.

*Offerings presented during the ceremony.*

On January 18, the focus shifts to ritual as the Muong community reenacts the Khoong Bep (Kitchen God Worship Ceremony), a time-honored tradition observed at the end of the lunar year. This ceremony honors ancestors and the kitchen deity, believed to safeguard the household and bring prosperity in the coming year.

Held within a traditional stilt house, the ceremony is led by a Thay Mo, or shaman, who performs prayers and offerings for good health, favorable weather, and abundant harvests. This ritual underscores the cultural significance of the home and kitchen in Vietnamese society, where domestic spaces are intricately linked to spiritual life.

In addition to the main events, visitors can explore everyday cultural activities associated with village life, including traditional board games, bamboo puppetry, and outdoor folk games such as stilt walking and swinging.

A highlight for international tourists is the ethnic costume experience area, where visitors can don handcrafted brocade clothing and take photographs against the backdrop of traditional stilt house architecture. This offers a rare opportunity to engage with Vietnam’s highland cultures within the modern capital city.