"A guide" to lucky Asian dishes - experience the full flavor of Tet.

The Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 is fast approaching, ushering in a festive season with preserved rituals, retold cultural legends and stories, and characteristic dishes on the feast table welcoming a new year of peace and prosperity. For many tourists, Tet cuisine is an indispensable experience and, moreover, a driving force behind their travel.

To fully enjoy the Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) festivities, Booking.com has introduced a culinary guide featuring lucky dishes from Asian cuisine, linked to various destinations. The list is based on a survey of travelers, in which 58%* of Vietnamese travelers indicated they choose new destinations hoping to discover more about the unique traditional local cuisine.

This list showcases destinations in Asia where travelers can sample "lucky foods," from time-honored family recipes to heartwarming family gatherings. These destinations invite visitors to start the new year with meaningful and hopeful culinary experiences.

Hue , Vietnam

Located along the Perfume River, Hue is a place where the Lunar New Year is closely associated with royal rituals, family traditions, and Vietnamese specialties. During Tet, families prepare banh chung (square sticky rice cake) made from sticky rice, mung beans, and pork, wrapped in dong leaves. Banh chung symbolizes prosperity, gratitude, and respect for ancestors. The square shape represents the earth, while the round shape of banh day (round sticky rice cake) symbolizes the sky, reflecting the Vietnamese concept of "Heaven is round, Earth is square." The process of wrapping and cooking banh chung is itself a complex ritual, often requiring multiple generations to prepare and watch over the pot of cakes all night.

Visitors to Hue during Tet (Lunar New Year) can fully immerse themselves in this traditional atmosphere with activities such as visiting temples, paying respects to ancestors, and strolling through the vibrant flower market. Besides the festival, Hue also offers opportunities to explore the Hue Imperial Citadel – a UNESCO World Heritage site – visit serene temples, and explore the royal tombs along the Perfume River.

Senna Hue Hotel combines modern amenities with a central location, making it convenient to explore Hue's cultural and culinary attractions. Guests can relax and enjoy garden or pool views from their rooms, dine at the hotel's restaurant, and easily access popular destinations such as Dong Ba Market, the Hue Imperial Citadel, and the Perfume River.

Yangshuo, China

Nestled amidst majestic limestone mountains and beside the picturesque Li River in Guangxi Province, Yangshuo is an ancient town boasting stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. During the Lunar New Year, a traditional family meal here is incomplete without fish (yu) – a homophone for the Chinese word for "abundance," symbolizing prosperity and good fortune in the new year. The fish is usually served whole to represent completeness, and according to custom, people don't eat all of it, leaving some behind to retain the "abundance" and good luck for the new year.

Visitors can immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere at riverside restaurants, enjoying light and refreshing steamed fish with ginger, scallions, and soy sauce, or sign up for a cooking class to prepare this traditional dish themselves. Beyond the cuisine, Yangshuo during the Lunar New Year is also vibrant with red lanterns and lively lion dances in village courtyards, creating a truly unique festive atmosphere. Visitors can also enjoy a bamboo raft ride to admire the majestic limestone mountains or stroll along quiet country roads to fully experience the local way of life.

Yangshuo Zen Garden Resort - Rich in Chinese Traditional Activities. This garden resort offers a peaceful retreat amidst nature, with panoramic views of majestic mountains and a variety of traditional Chinese activities. Guests can cycle along the Yulong River, enjoy dishes featuring plenty of vegetables, before returning to their spacious and relaxing rooms.

Jeonju, South Korea

Known as the "culinary capital" of South Korea, Jeonju – the capital and largest city of Jeonbuk Province – dons a special "outfit" during the Lunar New Year. The "star" of this celebration is tteokguk, a rice cake soup symbolizing longevity and a good start to the new year. The oval-shaped rice cakes in the soup represent ancient coins, conveying wishes for good fortune and prosperity.

In Jeonju, tteokguk is typically made with beef broth that has been strained to make it clearer, and is served with shredded egg, seaweed, and beef according to a family recipe passed down through generations. Besides enjoying the food, visitors can stroll through Jeonju Hanok Village, with its hundreds of traditional wooden houses that serve as a cradle for traditional performing arts, ancestral rituals, and New Year's gatherings. The city is also attractive for its vibrant "food alleys," craft shops, and ancient temples, fully reflecting Jeonju's artistic and culinary heritage.

Hanok Story Guesthouse offers a cozy, traditional stay just steps from a Hanok village. Its classic wooden architecture blends modern amenities with a tranquil garden and a convenient location, allowing guests easy access to Jeonju's cultural and culinary attractions.

Ipoh, Malaysia

In Ipoh, Lunar New Year is a vibrant blend of cultural heritage rooted in China and local culinary identity. An indispensable dish is yu sheng – a colorful salad of raw fish, mixed and tossed during the lo hei feast. It is believed that this ritual brings wealth, success, and good fortune in the new year, with each ingredient representing a wish: sliced ​​vegetables symbolizing growth, and sweet sauce representing harmonious living.

Ipoh restaurants often create their own unique versions of yu sheng, using fresh local ingredients and homemade sauces. Joining a communal lo hei feast at a bustling restaurant is an unmissable experience for food lovers. Afterwards, visitors can explore popular night markets such as the Ipoh Night Market or Gunung Rapat Night Market. Beyond its cuisine, Ipoh is also attractive for its British colonial architecture in the Old Town, its limestone cave temples like Perak Tong, or day trips to Cameron Highlands.

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat is a high-end wellness resort nestled between limestone cliffs and rainforest. Beyond its natural hot springs, saunas, and private villas creating a deeply relaxing atmosphere, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat also incorporates spa treatments based on traditional Malay and Ayurvedic medicine.

Taipei, China

In Taipei, Lunar New Year is a harmonious blend of vibrant street food and elegant family reunion feasts. Among the many traditional New Year dishes, dumplings (jiǎozi) are a popular traditional food. Shaped like ancient gold ingots (yuanbao), dumplings are believed to bring good fortune, and according to legend, the more dumplings you eat, the richer you will become in the new year.

Braised pork trotters noodles (also known as zhu jiao mian xian) – with braised pork trotters and longevity noodles – is another favorite dish among Taiwanese people during the Lunar New Year. The pork trotters symbolize "holding" good fortune, while the long, uncut noodles represent a wish for lasting health. Visitors to Taipei during the Lunar New Year can experience the distinct festive atmosphere at Dihua Street – a heritage district that transforms into a giant Lunar New Year market filled with all kinds of dried specialties, traditional sweets, and the lingering aroma of centuries-old recipes.

Taipei's lucky food. Visitors to Taipei during the Lunar New Year can visit Mandarin Oriental, located in the city's heritage district, which offers a cozy yet distinctive experience, reflecting the blend of Taipei's historical depth and contemporary architectural aesthetics. Enjoy a morning stroll along the Dadaocheng River and admire the spectacular fireworks display from the rooftop terrace in the evening.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/cam-nang-mon-an-may-man-cua-nguoi-chau-a-trai-nghiem-tron-ven-vi-tet-20260211163745674.htm