January 20, 2026
HANOI – A packed programme of vibrant cultural activities will run from this month until March in the heart of the capital, especially across heritage spaces, as Hà Nội ushers in spring and celebrates traditional Tết (Lunar New Year), the Year of the Horse, which falls on February 17 this year.
The Hà Nội Old Quarter Heritage Information Centre at 28 Hàng Buồm Street will host a traditional Tết space featuring a series of cultural experiences taking place from January 19 to March 17 across the Old Quarter.
An exhibition themed Sắc Xuân Bính Ngọ (Spring Colours of the Year of the Horse), organised by the Hồ Gươm Cultural Information Centre, will take place at 2 Lê Thái Tổ Street from January 22 to March 1.
From January 23 to March 1, the Hà Nội Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre will organise a Tết space and an art exhibition titled Chào Xuân Bính Ngọ 2026 (Greetings to Spring and the Year of the Horse 2026).
Many other activities will be staged around Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter as part of a programme themed Tết Việt – Tết Phố (Vietnamese Tết – Street Tết). These include the practice of traditional Tết customs, exhibitions and the recreations of spring markets, ancient houses, village communal houses and processions.
The programme, organised by the Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Hà Nội Old Quarter Management Board in coordination with various organisations and individuals under the guidance of the Hoàn Kiếm Ward authority, aims to preserve and promote the cultural values of traditional northern-region Tết.
As part of the programme, on January 24 the Đông Kinh Cổ Nhạc (Đông Kinh Ancient Music) group will offer a traditional music performance, showcasing the essence of heritage music within an Old Quarter setting at the centre on Đào Duy Từ Street.
Notably, a reenactment of traditional Tết rituals, including an offering ceremony and a flower procession, will be held by the Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Hà Nội Old Quarter Management Board to announce and welcome the Year of the Horse 2026.
The procession will start from Ô Quan Chưởng, one of Hà Nội’s ancient city gates, and move through Hàng Chiếu, Hàng Đường, Hàng Ngang and Hàng Đào streets, Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square, the Hoàn Kiếm Lake walking area and the streets of Lê Thái Tổ, Hàng Khay, Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Đinh Liệt and Hàng Bạc, before ending at Kim Ngân Temple at 42 Hàng Bạc Street.
A cultural activity featuring the making of bánh chưng (traditional Vietnamese rice cake) will take place on February 12 at the Cultural and Arts Centre at 22 Hàng Buồm Street. On the same day, the public can join a folk games programme and try on traditional costumes to tour the Old Quarter and a flower market along the route from 22 Hàng Buồm Street to Hàng Lược Street.
Through these activities, the organiser seeks to affirm its role as a core unit in the city’s conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, while also educating younger generations about the value of tradition.
The programme aims to link conservation with tourism, trade and creative economic development, contributing to the image of Hà Nội as a creative city where tradition and modernity blend harmoniously. OVN/VNS