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In Hanoi, countdown events will begin at 7 p.m. on December 31 at the Ly Thai To flower garden and the August Revolution Square in downtown Hoan Kiem District.
There will be an electronic music concert featuring big V-pop names such as Soobin Hoang Son, Toc Tien, Min, Tuan Hung, and Da LAB band at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square by the iconic Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake. Cultural activities and folk games will be on in the nearby pedestrians-only zone.
Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city, will ring in the New Year with firework displays, a 3D lighting show, and a musical countdown.
The 15-minute fireworks displays will begin at midnight at the Landmark 81, the country's highest building in Binh Thanh District, and at the Thu Thiem Tunnel area that links Districts 1 and 2 and Dam Sen Park in District 11.
On December 31 and January 1 nights there will be a lighting show using 3D mapping techniques at the city People’s Committee office in District 1. Downtown streets will be decorated with lights.
A concert by pop star Son Tung M-TP will be held on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street on New Year’s Eve.
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Foreign tourists walk on Bui Vien pedestrian street in downtown HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. |
In Da Nang, the country’s third largest city and a popular tourist destination, there will be celebrations at the September 2 Square.
A 15-minute fireworks display will light up the sky at 9 p.m. after the countdown party. For many years, the central city, famous for its annual international fireworks festival, has been popular with foreign tourists.
HCMC, Hanoi and Da Nang are among 100 most visited destinations in the world, according to the annual Top City Destinations Ranking report released last week by the U.K.-based global business intelligence firm Euromonitor International.
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Da Nang rings in the new year 2018 with a fireworks party on Han River. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. |
The ancient town of Hoi An, a neighbor of Da Nang, will also have lots of events. An Hoi Sculpture Garden will host an event at 9.30 p.m. featuring an arts performance, a lottery and a singing contest. There will be a fireworks display near the Hoai River.
In the south central province of Ninh Thuan, a grand music festival and a fireworks display will take place from 9:30 p.m. at the April 16 Square in Phan Rang-Thap Cham, the capital of Ninh Thuan.
An art program will be held at Phan Thiet, home to the popular resort destination of Mui Ne in the neighboring province of Binh Thuan, from 8 p.m. at the Nguyen Tat Thanh Square, followed by a fireworks display.
The UNESCO heritage site of Ha Long Bay will host a concert featuring well-known pop singers and DJs at the October 30 Square from 8 p.m.
Around 5.2 million foreigners visited Ha Long Bay last year, or 30 percent of the country’s 15.6 million foreign tourist arrivals.
Phu Tho Province, around 100 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi, and home to the famous Hung Kings Temple, will welcome the new year with fireworks displays and art programs.
Letting off fireworks has long been a tradition during important festivals and major national celebrations like Reunification Day on April 30 and Independence Day on September 2.
As disposable incomes rise and the country becomes increasingly open to the outside world, Vietnamese have begun to celebrate foreign festivals like the New Year, Christmas and Halloween with enthusiasm.
The country’s GDP growth is among world’s highest over the past decade. Vietnam’s GDP growth of 7.02 percent this year exceeded the parliament’s target of 6.6-6.8 percent as well as forecasts by several international organizations.
