A fulfilling Tet holiday is called happiness.

For the first time, the criterion of "happy people" has been included in the documents of the 18th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee (2025-2030 term). This is not just a slogan, but a political commitment for the Party and government apparatus to act for the lives of the people. And this Tet holiday, the people of Hanoi will enjoy small gifts called "happiness".

"A small gift, a great happiness"

For many residents of Hanoi, experiencing free services during the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 brings them joy and happiness in the early days of the new year.

Around 11:00 AM on the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year), Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc (Cau Giay ward) walked to the end of her alley to wait for bus number 32 (Giap Bat - Nho Son) to visit her parents and siblings who live on Giai Phong street (Giap Bat ward). The bus stop was deserted during Tet. There were only about a dozen passengers on the bus. Everyone boarded happily, smiling brightly at the driver and exchanging New Year's greetings.

All 128 subsidized bus routes in Hanoi will offer free fares for 9 days during Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: CTV

"My excitement is further amplified by the fact that I get a free bus ride today. The free money isn't worth much in material terms, but I feel very happy and elated during these first days of the new year," said Ms. Ngoc.

With no pressure or crowds, no need to pay, everyone was happy. "I suddenly felt much more in love with my capital city. I felt that the policies of the capital city were increasingly touching the hearts of the people, and we felt happy to benefit from them," Ms. Ngoc added.

In addition, during the first train journeys of the new year, the leaders of Hanoi Metro Company Limited (Hanoi Metro) were also present to encourage the staff and workers who operated throughout the Tet holiday. Notably, the company leaders also gave Tet lucky money to passengers who have shown their trust and support for the urban railway – a form of "green transportation for a green future".

Leaders of Hanoi Railway One-Member Limited Company give lucky money to passengers on trains during the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026. Photo: Contributor.

It can be said that offering free train and bus tickets on 128 routes to residents and tourists during the 2026 Lunar New Year is a significant initiative. The program is considered a gift from the capital city to its people at the beginning of the new year, especially in the context of Hanoi's efforts to address traffic congestion to improve the quality of life and help people live happier lives – a goal included for the first time in the Resolution of the 18th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee.

In addition, during this year's Tet holiday, Hanoi is also offering free parking at some locations near historical sites and central schools, as well as free admission to many historical sites.

The happiness of the people is the highest goal.

These small "gifts" during the Lunar New Year demonstrate a consistent development orientation aimed at the satisfaction and happiness of the people of Hanoi, especially since the 18th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee.

In the period from November 2025 to the present, the city has accomplished a tremendous amount of work, all with the spirit of prioritizing the development of the capital and the interests of the people.

Traffic congestion and urban order issues – long-standing bottlenecks – have shown a clear improvement, gradually decreasing.

Many bottlenecks in transportation projects across the capital city have been resolved at lightning speed and have received very high levels of public support.

A notable achievement is that the Ring Road 1 (Hoang Cau - Voi Phuc section), after years of stagnation due to land clearance bottlenecks, has now been opened for technical traffic and will be completed in 2026.

In addition, just before the Lunar New Year of the Horse, the Kim Dong - Giai Phong intersection underpass and the Ring Road 2.5 section from Dam Hong to National Highway 1A were basically completed on February 10, 2026, and the entire project was completed in the first quarter of 2026.

Construction work on the Ring Road 2.5 project, section from Dam Hong to National Highway 1A. Photo: Nguyen Quang

Meanwhile, the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 1A, the Van Dien - Ngoc Hoi section, one of the vital transportation routes in the south of Hanoi, has officially been opened to traffic along its entire length after years of delays due to land clearance issues.

According to Professor and Doctor Phung Huu Phu, happiness is not an abstract concept; happiness is when people can breathe clean air, travel safely, eat clean meals, and commute to work in a smooth, uncrowded environment free from congestion and dust. Hanoi now must be a city that says what it does, does it quickly, does it correctly, does it effectively, and does it to the end with a proactive and decisive spirit. Whether Hanoi will be beautiful and happy 50 or 100 years from now depends on implementing the tasks set out today.

It can be said that people's satisfaction is the measure of happiness. Happiness is not something lofty or extravagant, but is manifested in everyday life. This is evident when the people of Hanoi clearly feel the positive changes resulting from the city's focus on addressing five bottlenecks directly related to people's lives: traffic congestion, urban order, flooding, environmental sanitation, and food safety.

Furthermore, the city pays special attention to improving social welfare and the quality of life for its people. The two multi-purpose urban development projects in Phuc Thinh, Thu Lam, and Dong Anh communes are clear examples of this. One of the key objectives of the projects is to create jobs, stable livelihoods, and improve the quality of life; control investment costs, reduce prices, and increase people's access to housing.

The Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party sets the goal that by 2030, Vietnam will strive to be among the top 40 countries with the highest happiness index... Meanwhile, the Resolution of the 18th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee also sets the goal that by 2030, the happiness index will reach 9/10.

The development of the capital city, both in the short and long term, places people at the center. Alongside ongoing tasks, in the long-term vision, Hanoi prioritizes development for the benefit of its people. In the process of developing the Capital City Master Plan with a 100-year vision, the city places people at the center, with quality of life as the highest measure.

The city's perspective is that the ultimate goal of urban planning is not just growth figures, but a livable Hanoi where residents enjoy a clean environment, unique cultural spaces, high-quality public services, and solid social welfare. The city aims to be a place where every citizen feels proud, happy, connected, and has the opportunity for holistic development.

With its exemplary and leading role, the Party Committee and government of Hanoi have been strongly shifting from "management" to "service and development creation," placing people and businesses at the center, and using the quality of life of the people and the competitiveness of the city as a measure of development.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tet-du-day-mang-ten-hanh-phuc-734318.html