What is Tet

Tet is the occasion for Vietnamese to express their respect and remembrance for their ancestors as well as welcoming the New Year with their beloved family members. Moreover, in the past, Tet was essential as it provided one of few long breaks during the agricultural year, which was held between the harvesting of the crops and the sowing of the next ones. To make it easier, one can imagine Tet as a combination of Christmas and New Year: every family will get together to have big meals, decorate Tet trees and eat Tet food but to welcome the new year instead of a religious cause.

What to do if you are in Ho Chi Minh City for Tet holiday

1. Watch Flower Displays:

During Tet holidays, there are many places that you can visit and things to enjoy in Ho Chi Minh City. You can pay a visit to Nguyen Hue Flower Street in District 1. This is where a special event is held every year to celebrate Lunar New Year: Different kinds of flowers from many regions of the country are brought to Ho Chi Minh City and arranged into beautiful shapes. The theme is different each year based on the animal of the year according to Chinese Zodiac (2017 will be the year of Chicken).

Flower Street Nguyen Hue

2. Entertainment Parks:

Many parks in Ho Chi Minh City like Dam Sen Park, Suoi Tien Park is also a great choice to spend your holidays. There are a lot of activities held in these parks during the holidays like the festivals where you can play many games and the music shows that happen every night. Especially if you travel in a family with kids, they will surely enjoy the colorful decoration and festive atmosphere at these theme parks.

3. Doorshows at hotels 

On Tet Holiday, the center of Ho Chi Minh City is not only filled with colorful Nguyen Hue Flower Street, but is also entertained by great doorshows. These shows are held in front of hotels in Saigontourist’s sytem, including: Rex, Majestic, Continental, Grand, Sheraton, Caravelle, Bông Sen, Palace, Kim Đô, Oscar. People can expect to see drum performances, dragon dance, a human and tree, outdoor concerts, model-shaping dance, pantomimes, magic tricks, juggling, flamenco music, classical music prformances, comics, window show puppet performances, circus acts, vaudeville, folk games, etc. Remember to be downtown in the afternoon if you happen to come to Ho Chi Minh City this Tet Festival, to witness some dangerous, funny and unique performances.
 

4. Visit Cho Lon (District 5)

As Tet comes to every house’s door, Cho Lon  is most crowded and beautiful in a year, putting on a new red coat from street to street, shop to shop. Being the trade center of the city and the home for decoration materials, ChoLon is the first place to feel the atmosphere of Tet Holiday. Hoa people have well-maintained a lot of traditional original customs of Tet Holiday, as well as adopted some of Vietnamese people, thus making Tet in Cho Lon very lively and interesting to see. Tourists can take a tour visiting the area by pedicabs.

5. Visit pagodas

For Vietnamese people, going to pagodas on Tet is indispensable part of the holiday. Therefore, it’s recommended for tourists to drop at some popular pagodas, suggested in the list below:
Here you can join the crowd of people praying for luck, happiness and joyfulness for themselves and their families in the upcoming year. On this occasion when pagodas are filled with flocks of pilgrims, tourists can enjoy the tranquil atmosphere mixed with charming and mysterious aroma of intense sticks.
 

Warnings!

Plan your activities well ahead. Inquire about, and book, tours well ahead to avoid disappointment. For example, many of the street food tours may not be operating because their street vendors  will all be on holidays. Others may only be operating their general tours as their specialist photographers and the like will be away. If tours are running they will fill up fast as this is peak season. Some companies, like the cooking schools, may only close on New Years Day (19th Feb), others for a few days either side.

Have plenty of cash available for the holiday period. Banks close and there’s a big possibility ATM’s will run out of money.

Check out some local websites to see what’s on. Many locals and expats go away at this time of year so local venues will be much quieter than usual and may even close.

Many of the smaller local restaurants will close as people will return to their home towns. In areas such as Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien and other parts of District 1 there will be more than enough venues open that you won’t want for choice.

Unfortunately the incidence of bag snatching and soft muggings tends to go up just before TET. 

source: http://vnretail.com.vn/en/m-application/id-795/tet-holiday-in-hcm-city-what-do-you-do.html