Tet celebrations in Hoi An

The annual banh tet (glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork fat) festival for the poor will open February 13, New Year’s Eve, at the Hoi An Museum of History and Culture giving the poor a chance to join the holiday. The event will feature a banh tet making contest then presenting banh tet to the poor. Last year, the event attracted 30 units and collected more than 6,000 banh tet to give to more than 500 poor households.
At Hoai River Square, the second Hoi An lantern contest will take place on February 13, promising locals and tourists works of artistic lanterns or artistic installations of lanterns. The event also aims to honor the traditional craft of lantern making of Hoi An.
The highlights of New Year’s Eve will be a lion dance, lantern parade and flowered car parade to invite tourists to join the holiday. At the sacred moment of transferring from the old year to the new year, there will be a fireworks display at the provincial culture and sports center in Tam Ky City, Hoai River Square, Cua Dai Beach and Cu Lao Island in Hoi An City while temples, churches and pagodas will ring their bells and beat their drums at the same time to welcome the new year.
During the holiday, there will be many cultural, sports and entertainment programs such as a Chinese chess competition, Hoi An martial arts contest, music contests for young voices, young music bands, young dance bands and fashion shows. There will also be traditional folk game tournaments such as tug of war and day gay (pushing stick), modern games, calligraphy, photos and fine art works.