The Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi is hosting a wide range of cultural, ceremonial and experiential activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026, aiming to preserve and promote traditional cultural values while meeting the growing interest of the public and visitors.

The ritual to release of carp to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Running from February 1 to 25, the programme brings to life the festive atmosphere of Tet during the Le Trung Hung (Revival Le) Dynasty (1533–1789) alongside the folk Tet traditions of ancient Thang Long, helping to spread and honour Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage.

A key highlight is the series of thematic displays and exhibitions. The traditional folk Tet exhibition reenacts New Year celebrations of an urban family in the former imperial capital, featuring familiar customs such as ancestor worship, hanging Tet paintings, making banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes) and exchanging New Year greetings, all reflecting the distinctive cultural identity and architectural character of the old Thang Long.

Another exhibition space focuses on royal Tet rituals of the Revival Le Dynasty, introducing solemn ceremonies including the calendar presentation ceremony, the erection of the Neu pole and the royal New Year ceremony.

These rituals are presented through panels, illustrations, replica artefacts and a recreated setting depicting the offering of New Year tributes to the king at the courtyard of Kinh Thien Palace.

The Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre is also hosting a documentary photo exhibition entitled “Tet in Memory”, which features historically valuable images of Tet celebrations in Hanoi and northern Vietnam during periods of hardship.

The exhibition is held alongside displays of Vietnamese cultural heritage, helping to raise public awareness of heritage protection and promotion.

Complementing the exhibitions are performance programmes and reenactments of the ritual of “seeing off the old and welcoming the new”, including the release of carp to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods, the erection of the Neu pole and the guard-changing ritual at the imperial citadel.

These activities provide visitors with vivid, hands-on experiences within the more than 1,000-year-old heritage site.

Traditional events like the lowering of the Neu pole, the spring opening ceremony and water puppet shows during Tet, plus a variety of activities under the theme “Tet means Happiness”, are also on the schedule, making the capital a vibrant cultural and tourism hotspot this spring.

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