The first flag-raising ceremony of the Lunar New Year began at 6.30 am in Ba Dinh Square, conducted with solemn rituals before a large crowd gathered since early morning.
Ba Trieu Street in Hoan Kiem Ward was quiet and unusually empty on the chilly morning of the first day of Tet, as families headed out early to enjoy the spring air and exchange New Year greetings.
Vendors selling rice and salt for good luck were out early on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Ly Thai To Street, in front of the State Bank of Vietnam, was unusually calm at 7 am, with only a handful of vehicles passing through.
Streets around Hoan Kiem Lake were markedly quieter than usual, as the cool, crisp air of the first Tet morning carried a gentle festive mood across Hanoi.
Desert corners around Ho Guom and Hanoi’s Old Quarter lay largely deserted, with light traffic adding to the city’s unusually calm start to the New Year.
On Trang Tien Street
On Ta Hien Street, many shops and cafes remain open
Elderly residents and young people gathered on Ta Hien Street on the first day of the New Year to take photos.
Le Thuy Linh and her husband, from Vinh Tuy Ward, arrived early at Ta Hien Street to enjoy the spring atmosphere together.
Members of the Hanoi City Walking Club gathered at Hoan Kiem Lake in traditional ao dai to mark the Binh Ngo New Year and take commemorative photos.
Foreign visitors donned traditional ao dai to stroll around Ho Guom on New Year’s Day, enjoying the spring scenery.
Ha To (left) and fellow members of his cycling club gathered by Hoan Kiem Lake for coffee and conversation on the first morning of the New Year.
By 8.30 am, the streets grew busier, with crowds gathering around Hoan Kiem Lake and Ly Thai To Flower Garden to enjoy the spring air and sightsee on the first day of Tet.
