Several streets like Ha Noi, Hoang Van Thu, Cong Hoa, Truong Chinh, and Hai Thuong Lan Ong have been congested throughout the day lately.
On Wednesday at the Rach Chiec Bridge area on Ha Noi Highway, trucks, cars and motorbikes backed up for a kilometer.
A woman carries two bouquets of marigolds in a traffic jam. Flower pots are popular Tet decorations.
The Ha Noi Highway is a vital traffic route at HCMC's eastern entrance, with container trucks going in and out of ports at the end of the year. Traffic jams have been a common occurrence for the past two weeks.
"Even driving trucks across the street to enter the port takes around 15 minutes, not to mention hours of waiting in traffic jams. This road is jammed shut every Tet," a truck driver who was standing outside his vehicle to wait for the traffic to clear, said.
In downtown areas too, traffic jams are frequent. A sea of vehicles could be seen on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street at noon Wednesday. The street has many shops selling Tet decorations that attract hordes of shoppers.
On Tuesday night streets around Tan Son Nhat Airport like Cong Hoa, Hoang Van Thu and Phan Thuc Duyen suffered from traffic jams.
On Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Tan Binh District, a man transporting flowers for customers could only inch forward for long.
"Streets are always crowded at the end of the year," he said.
"I only have to travel a few kilometers, but I've been stuck on the road for over an hour."
Tet, Vietnam's most important holiday, lasts from January 29 to February 6 this year.
