The Ha Nhi people in the border area of Lai Chau are bustling to celebrate the traditional New Year.

Ha Nhi women in the border area of Lai Chau prepare their clothes to welcome a new spring. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The first thing the Ha Nhi people do when they wake up is to light a fire, boil water, and prepare to slaughter the pork. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Elderly people often wake up early to prepare for work and get dressed for the New Year. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Pork is indispensable for the traditional Tet holiday of the Ha Nhi people, so every family must slaughter pork when Tet comes. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Pork is indispensable for the traditional Tet holiday of the Ha Nhi people, so every family must have pork when Tet comes. The liver is especially important in pigs because the Ha Nhi people have a custom of looking at the pig's liver to know the health of the family and how business is going. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA) Pork is indispensable for the traditional Tet holiday of the Ha Nhi people, so every family must have pork when Tet comes. The liver is especially important in pigs because the Ha Nhi people have a custom of looking at the pig's liver to know the health of the family and how business is going. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

After slaughtering the pig, the homeowner brought the liver inside to be treated before viewing. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The custom of looking at a pig’s liver is to know the health of the family and how business will be. Many experienced elders in the village can see the whole village in the same liver. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

According to custom, the most important thing for Ha Nhi families at the beginning of the year is to examine the pig's liver, and that pig must be raised in the house, to examine the family's wealth and health. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The custom of viewing pig liver at the beginning of the year is one of the long-standing concepts passed down through many generations of the Ha Nhi people and this is also the most important thing for every family on the first day of the new year. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

During Tet, in addition to processed foods, almost every household has meat hanging in the kitchen, a traditional way of preparing meat of the Ha Nhi people. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The first day of the year is also the time when husband and wife sit together, wishing each other health and peace. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

More or less, everyone sits at the table, eating dishes to show respect and bring luck for the new year. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

According to custom, after performing the New Year greeting rituals, the children or grandchildren must sit at the first table of food for the new year and eat at least one piece of something for good luck. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

When offering or receiving gifts, children and grandchildren must bow politely to show their respect to their parents. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The Ha Nhi people also prepare Tet feasts on the first day of the year to invite guests with wishes for health, peace, and good luck in business. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

The traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi people is also an occasion for children and grandchildren to visit and wish their grandparents and parents a happy new year. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Newlyweds, or in special cases, will receive a baby chicken as a gift from their relatives to keep as capital with the hope of a lucky new year. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

As noon and afternoon approached, the village atmosphere became more bustling as children and grandchildren went to offer New Year greetings to their grandparents and relatives. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)

Especially during the traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi ethnic group, newlywed couples must bring offerings to their relatives' houses on the first day of the new year to perform the ritual of worshipping a swing tree to ward off evil spirits and pray for good luck. (Photo: Quy Trung/VNA)