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Hanoi and HCM City to let off fireworks to welcome Lunar New Year
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VietNamNet Bridge – The city authorities have decided to let off fireworks at 29 places, including four places with high-range and 25 with low-range firework shows, at the Lunar New Year’s Eve.

The four places for high-range firework including Hoan Kiem Lake, Dong Da Lake, Thang Loi Hotel and Van Quan Lake.

The 25 places for low-range firework shows will be the capitals of districts. The firework show will last for 15 minutes, from 0 to 0.15 am, February 3, 2011.

The Capital City High Command will be responsible for the firework shows.

The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has announced to hold 50 flower markets this lunar New Year (Tet).

The department’s vice chief Nguyen The Hung said urban districts have registered 14 flower markets. On average, each district will have one flower market, except for Thanh Xuan and Cau Giay which will have two markets.

Hanoi will also organize nearly 40 market-days in suburb districts and transport goods to industrial zones and rural areas to serve locals this Tet. Notably, goods supplied at these markets and rural areas will have good quality and reasonable prices thanks to the city’s policy and efforts to stabilize prices.

The city has prepared adequate sources to supply goods for the upcoming Tet to prevent price escalation.

From now until Tet, which will fall in early February, the authorities will set up 40 inspection teams to control the prices at supermarkets and markets.


In HCM City, 15-minute fireworks will be set off at eight different places on New Year’s Eve.

Also in the city, Nguyen Hue Street will be transformed into a street of flowers this lunar New Year (Tet) from January 31 to February 6.

It will feature flowers and bonsai brought from around Vietnam, including fresh flowers from Da Lat and areas in the southwest that will decorate the 800-meter road. The street will begin with a garden of mai trees and apricot trees with yellow blossoms, the symbol of Tet in the south.

The display will be divided into various sections, but all depicting Vietnam’s countryside – there will be stacks of yellow straw, green bamboo trees, rice fields, and bamboo bridges over small canals.

The display will end at Bach Dang port with an apricot tree with large yellow blossoms and an artificial lake.

Elsewhere in the city, its 24 districts will each organize a banh tet (traditional sticky rice cake) making competition from January 26 to 31, and distribute 10,000 of the cakes to children at charity houses and shelters.

Local authorities are also gearing up for the annual Spring Flower Festival at Tao Dan Park in HCM City as the Tet holiday approaches.

The event will begin on January 28 and end on February 8 (the sixth day of the lunar year's first month).

More than 8,000 indigenous and foreign flowers, ornamental fish, bonsai plants and trees will be featured at the festival. They will be provided by florists, farms, handicraft villages and business people involved in agriculture, according to Tran Thien Ha, director of the HCM City Green Tree and Park Company, a member of the festival's organizing board.

Well-known handicraft villages and farms in HCM City, Ha Noi and the provinces of Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Lam Dong will introduce their products at the festival.

In addition to the flower displays and sales, the event will include musical and dance performances, as well as cultural exhibitions such as traditional food festivals and painting displays. The festival's themes highlight the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party, which will open on January 12 in Ha Noi.

The opening ceremony will include three music and song programs in praise of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, which feature dozens of veterans and young performers.

The show titled Sac Hoa Dang Dang-Dang Bac (Flowers for the Party and Uncle Ho) will highlight revolutionary music.

Designed to feel like a colorful garden, Tao Dan Park will be attractive to children and young people who find inspiration in nature.

Visitors will participate in a variety of street shows featuring folk art and games staged by hundreds of puppet and circus performers, which will begin at 8pm every night.

Organizers said they have received help and support from the city People's Committee and other offices and organizations.

VN