6 things to try when celebrating Tet in Ho Chi Minh City

On Tet holiday, the city is not noisy but has its own style, fresh like a young girl in the spring sunshine.

Sitting down to drink a glass of water, watching the streets of Saigon with little traffic on Tet holiday - Photo: GIA TIEN

Below are 6 suggestions for you to experience the beautiful and peaceful city this Tet season.

Sip a cup of aromatic coffee in the city center

District 1, the city center, has many ancient architectural works, wide and airy streets with rows of tall trees. All you need to do is simply find a strange corner, sit and contemplate the past year and welcome the new spring. When Tet comes, the central area puts on a fresh coat and so do the coffee shops. You can choose a luxurious shop or a corner of the street, letting all the worries of the old year drift away with the bitter taste of a cup of coffee. District 1 has coffee shops on high floors or on big streets, but there are also shops hidden in relatively quiet streets such as Pho Duc Chinh, Trinh Van Can... Choosing to go with friends or "just me" is up to you, but being alone will give you time for peaceful, relaxing thoughts. Walking the alley and contemplating

A small alley in Da Kao area on Tet holiday - Photo: GIA TIEN

On normal days, with so many people and vehicles, you probably won't notice the scenery in the alleys of Ho Chi Minh City. At the beginning of the year, the alleys are cleaned, flags are hung, and ornamental flowers are displayed in front of the houses, making them more beautiful. You can simply put on soft shoes, wander around the alley near your house or choose an alley you've never been to before. You will easily see children wearing new clothes playing, adults sitting on chairs chatting in front of the porch, someone hurriedly carrying a mai branch home to display for Tet. The experience of walking around the alley is especially interesting for those who like taking photos to post on Instagram or Facebook stories because it's easy to get "cool" frames. You can save the image of an old balcony corner, a purple bougainvillea branch drooping in the afternoon, pale sunlight on a tree swaying in the wind... Every year, there is a set of alley photos. When you look back and compare them later, you will see that time flies by on the photos and you have changed a lot like the scenery.

Go to the suburbs to feel the Tet atmosphere

Tet in suburban areas such as Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh… carries the colors and atmosphere of Tet in the countryside. Tet markets are bustling with all kinds of goods, from cakes, jams, fruits to housewarming items. Buyers and sellers are busy carrying their goods home, looking cheerful.

Entering the alleys, you will see the friendly people, and the apricot blossoms blooming on the porches of the tiled houses that remain from the old days. The prices of snacks in the suburbs are also "cheap", such as "respectfully" all kinds of sweet soup, banh xeo, goi cuon, banh trang nuong... from only 10,000 VND/dish.

In the suburbs, there are peaceful scenes like this on the days before Tet - Photo: GIA TIEN

Take photos in traditional costumes

If you have never tried wearing traditional ao dai or ao ba ba to take Tet photos, you should experience it and you will see the novelty creeping into your soul. Tet ao dai has many designs, you can choose a style that suits your style to pose most comfortably. It is not necessary to take photos with a fancy crew or in a famous, crowded location, you just need to take photos right in a small yard or right in an alley or a market near your house and it will be beautiful enough. Moreover, such spontaneous scenes make it easy for you to have natural, clear photos.

Ao dai is always a suitable and outstanding outfit during Tet - Photo: PHUONG QUYEN

Explore a new place

Normally, if you haven’t been to many places, Tet is an opportunity to refresh your experiences by exploring some places in Ho Chi Minh City. It could be a Saigon River bus tour or sitting on a double-decker bus to see the city center, visiting museums. More simply, you just need to wear a comfortable outfit, get on the bus and speed through the Chinatown area of ​​Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, Chau Van Liem Street…

This Tet, take a double-decker bus to see the city center - Photo: PHUONG QUYEN

Read newspaper or write Tet diary

It may sound irrelevant when talking about the experience of Tet in Ho Chi Minh City, but choosing a quiet corner to read the spring newspaper will give you a perspective on Tet customs, current events, the economy and Vietnamese people. Don't think that writing a Tet diary is cheesy, because recording what happens during a Tet season will have a relaxing, archiving effect and maybe help you come up with good ideas for the new year. You can write in a notebook or on the computer, keep it for yourself or share it with your close friends.

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