BEAUTIFUL ÁO DÀI: Visitors in áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) visit the Vietnamese Tết Festival at the Youth Cultural House in HCM City’s District 1 to take colourful photos for Tết. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

HCM CITY – Residents and visitors in recent days have flocked to the HCM City’s Vietnamese 'Tết' (Lunar New Year) Festival at the Youth Cultural House.

The festival is decorated with mai (ochna) trees set up along Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street and inside the venue, which is always crowded with visitors going shopping and taking beautiful photos.

Apart from ochna trees, a paddy field is set up as well to wish for good crops in the new year.

Nguyễn Hồng Phúc, director of the Youth Cultural House, said, “This year, the Vietnamese Tết Festival aims to bring Tết in the countryside with images of maize cobs hanging up in kitchens, and gardens with chrysanthemum and bamboo trees to the city.”

SEEKING PROSPERITY: A calligrapher at the festival gifts his works to visitors. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

As usual, the highlight of the event features a calligraphy market, attracting more than 50 calligraphers, who are members of calligraphy clubs in the city and neighbouring provinces.

The calligraphers, dressed in áo dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress), include men and women of varying ages selling calligraphy in black and yellow ink on red paper.

They sit on mats arranged in an oval shape symbolising peace, bringing people back to memories of calligraphy markets in the past.

The calligraphers receive requests from visitors for words to write on red paper or red lucky money envelopes.

Nguyền Hoàng Quyên in Thủ Đức city said, “I often visit the market to look for calligraphy works in hopes of bringing happiness, success, wealth and health to my family.”

This year, the festival also has stalls to introduce folk games and toys such as tò he (toy figurines that are made of rice dough) and paper paintings.

An area of Vietnamese traditional food service for Tết is featured as well.

The festival remains open until January 26, or the fifth day of Lunar New Year, the Year of the Cat, this year at 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street in District 1. — VNS