Vietnam welcomes Year of the Cat

There would still be another hour before the Tet firework show at the Thu Thiem Bridge, but people have already gathered at the Bach Dang Pier of District 1 in anticipation of the event. The location is one of the best spots to watch the fireworks, prompting many to come, even bringing mats to sit on the ground.

People gather near HCMC's Bach Dang Pier to watch the Tet firework show, January 21, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

At around 10 p.m., Thua Thien-Hue fired low-altitude fireworks for 9 minutes. Another session of high-altitude fireworks is expected to be launched for 15 minutes at midnight.

Low-altitude fireworks light up the sky in Thua Thien-Hue, January 21, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh

Nguyen Thi Van, 26, this year spends the fifth Tet in Canada. One day before the Lunar New Year hits, she and her friends went to a Tet market to buy ingredients for banh chung (sticky rice cake).

Van and her group make banh chung for Tet in Canada. Photo by Nguyen Van

"Every year, I still make traditional Tet meals with banh chung, glass noodles and pork paste... so the entire family and some friends could gather and have fun," Van said.

At the Hanoi Railway Station, 11 workers cleaned up a train so it could depart the station at 8:20 p.m. to travel to HCMC. They have been working since 5 a.m. to do so.

A worker hoses down the outside of a train at the Hanoi Railway Station. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Amid the hectic traffic of Hanoi, environment workers remain hard at work to clean up the streets.

Vo Thi Hau, 50, said she's spent the last 30 years cleaning up the street every Lunar New Year.

"Everyone wants to be with their families, but the streets must be clean on the first day of Tet, so we all encourage each other and work happily," she said.

Vo Thi Hau pushes a garbage cart on the streets of Hanoi, a smile on her face. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh

This is the sixth year where Pham Thi Kim Yen celebrates Tet in Japan. Despite the fact that Japan no longer allows long holidays for the Lunar New Year Festival, this year the occassion falls on the weekends, meaning Yen and her friends get two days off for parties and pagoda visits.

Yen and her friends pose for a commemorative photo at their dorm in Nagano, Japan. Photo by Kim Yen

Yen, 34, has been shopping with her Vietnamese friends for Tet decorations and snacks for the past few days. She plans to call her family back home in Vietnam once midnight hits.

"The Lunar New Year comes to Japan two hours earlier than Vietnam, but as long as I call on the right day, my parents are happy," Yen said.