The first victory of the armed forces of Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province, made great contributions to the success of the Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising in spring 1968 (Spring Mau Than 1968). At the second regional conference on guerrilla warfare after the Spring Mau Than 1968, the district’s armed forces were lauded for their great feats of arms, especially the victory on the first day of Lunar New Year 1968. After 30 minutes, a team of five commandos occupied Cai Mit post, making contributions to liberating more than 80% of the district. In Cho Lach district, the enemy built 3-4 strategic hamlets in each commune which were guarded by 1,000 troops. Some of them were cruel commanders who had owed local people and revolution a blood debt. The situation challenged the Vietnamese force as the enemy reinforced their forces to control the areas and spread misinformation about the Vietnamese people’s revolution, the Vietnamese forces did not receive support … [Read more...] about The battle on the first night of Lunar New Year 1968
Who celebrates new years first
Baby taken from wartime orphanage returns home for first Vietnamese New Year
A woman in her late 60s walked slowly towards the door as a guest arrived. “Hello mom,” he said in the simple English that she could understand. It was the first “mom” that Le Thi Anh, 67, had heard from her son in nearly half a century, and it was enough to make her burst into tears. Her son was among 100 babies rescued from an orphanage in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 during Operation Mercy Airlift, organized by the Daily Mail. "I didn't want to abandon you," Anh told her son via an interpreter. Anh, who lives in Quy Nhon in central Vietnam, said she had an accident in 1975 and was hospitalized for more than two months. Her family brought her baby to the hospital to be breastfed every day, until her parents died and her husband left. With the general chaos that ensued at the end of the war, other relatives put the baby into an orphanage and the nuns later moved him to Saigon without telling Anh. When Anh finally arrived in the southern … [Read more...] about Baby taken from wartime orphanage returns home for first Vietnamese New Year
Vietnam’s Hmong people celebrate traditional New Year
Tet – the national new year celebration of the Vietnamese – is still nearly three weeks away but the Hmong people in Son La, a mountainous province in northwestern Vietnam, have already celebrated their traditional version of this special occasion. Plum blossoms can be seen covering the hillsides of Son La as people take a break from their farming work, donning colorfully embroidered clothes and enjoying a variety of different activities to celebrate Tet, a way to refer to the Lunar New Year, which begins on February 16. The Hmong, one of the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, welcome the New Year during the first three days of the last lunar calendar month, as opposed to the national Tet, which is held a month later. For the last four years, four villages in Chieng Lao Commune, Muong La District, Son La have organized a banh giay pounding competition. Banh giay is a round Vietnamese traditional glutinous rice cake. It is typically used as offerings to ancestors and deities … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Hmong people celebrate traditional New Year
New Year gifts dispatched to offshore naval soldiers
In addition to essential goods, Dong leaves for making Chung cakes are delivered to the DK1 platform for soldiers to prepare for the traditional Lunar New Year. (Photo: Doan Manh Duong/VNA) Private Nguyen Quoc Dat, who will be stationed at the DK1 platform, said: “This will be my first Lunar New Year celebration at the DK1 platform. I’m happy to be with my companions in arms who are to defending our national sovereignty. I want to tell my parents not to worry. I will be fine on the platform. I wish the people on the mainland a happy New Year. We will do our best to defend our fatherland’s sea and island sovereignty.” … [Read more...] about New Year gifts dispatched to offshore naval soldiers
Saigoneers OK plan to expand Bui Vien walking street before Lunar New Year
Plans are afoot to expand a weekend pedestrian area in Ho Chi Minh City's backpacker precinct and keep it open for an extra day during the week. As proposed by the city’s District 1, the current walking zone on a section Bui Vien Street will be expanded to cover the entire street and part of Nguyen Quang Dau Street. An extra day has also been suggested for the walking zone, which is currently open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In a letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City’s People's Committee, District 1 said it would like to open the expanded zone by February 10 to provide a bigger venue for the Lunar New Year celebrations in mid-February as the current walking zone is already overcrowded. The plan has already been approved by local residents who agree with the idea of making more streets in the backpacker area pedestrian-friendly. The backpacker area pulls in around 2,000 tourists on its best days and earns more than VND37 billion ($1.63 million) a year. In … [Read more...] about Saigoneers OK plan to expand Bui Vien walking street before Lunar New Year
Golden Globes celebrate the year of the genre movie
In a year of devastating hurricanes, ubiquitous sex assault scandals and a strikingly candid presidential Twitter account, it is little wonder that cinemagoers are turning to escapist fantasy. With fairy tale romance "The Shape of Water" leading the nominations for the Golden Globes, dark farce "Get Out" topping critics' lists and horror movies making $1 billion at the box office, 2017 may come to be seen as the year of the genre movie. Jordan Peele's "Get Out," which satirizes suburban white guilt over racial inequality in the United States, is emblematic of the rise of genre films in this year's awards season. It has been almost a year since its release, and most movies brought out that far ahead of Hollywood's various prize-giving ceremonies are long forgotten by the time the trophies are being polished. Yet "Get Out" is up for two Globes on Sunday and entertainment website Eonline.com has been extolling its virtues as a genuine contender. Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water," … [Read more...] about Golden Globes celebrate the year of the genre movie
Da Nang, Hoi An prepare for New Year
VietNamNet Bridge – Visitors to the central coastal city of Da Nang this New Year will find themselves immersed in a celebratory atmosphere, as the city is planning many festive activities.Specifically, renowned resort Ba Na Hills is celebrating the Winter festival with the theme Sac Dong (Winter Colours), which will go on until the end of December. The event offers many colorful performances of art forms including circus acts, rollerblading and dancing.Meanwhile, Da Nang Museum and Marble Mountains Tourist Area will welcome the first visitors of 2018 to these destinations on the first day of the New Year.Other popular tourist attractions within the city are also preparing to welcome their first New Year visitors through various activities such as renovating their structures, preparing welcome banners, ensuring environmental sanitation and safety and offering attractive promotional programmes.According to Da Nang’s tourism authority, the number of visitors to the city … [Read more...] about Da Nang, Hoi An prepare for New Year
“Experience the traditional New Year culture of Korea” introduced in Hanoi
(Cinet)- On February 7, in Hanoi, the Korean Cultural Centre organised a programme entitled “Experience the traditional New Year culture of Korea". The event drew the participation of cultural researchers, food experts from Vietnam and Korea, as well as many Vietnamese young people who love Korean culture. Master Kim Yeong Mi, a Korean food expert introduced the arrangement and process of setting up the traditional altar of Korean people, as well as the rituals and meanings of the various offerings on the altar, in order to help attendees of the event have a better idea of the worshipping rituals of Korea. Professor Mai Ngoc Chu, chairman of the Korean Research Association of Vietnam, said that Vietnam and Korea have many cultural similarities, particularly seen in the way both countries welcome their traditional lunar New Year. Both Vietnamese and Korean’s celebrate the New Year at the beginning of spring, according to the lunar calendar, as well as ceremonies … [Read more...] about “Experience the traditional New Year culture of Korea” introduced in Hanoi
Hue kicks off eight-day New Year festival
Thua Thien-Hue Province authorities on Thursday kicked off an eight-day annual festival celebrating the New Year at Huyen Tran Temple in Hue City. The temple worships both Princess Huyen Tran, who is considered the founder of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri and Quang Nam provinces, and her father, King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308). The first event of the festival was a prayer and ritual ceremony conducted by Buddhist monks to pray for peace and prosperity in the new year. Leaders and residents of Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri lit incense sticks during the ceremony. The festivities include lanterns, traditional prayers for good luck, folklore performances, handicraft exhibitions and a vegetarian food festival. The festival ends on February 17. Source: VNS … [Read more...] about Hue kicks off eight-day New Year festival
Traditional New Year of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups
(Cinet)- Vietnam is the home to 54 ethnic minority groups. Each ethnic minority group has its own festivals, customs, beliefs and farming practice. For some ethnic minority groups, New Year lasts about half a month, during which time many exciting cultural and community activities will take place. Following are traditional New Year customs of some ethnic minority groups in Vietnam. 1. New Year of Muong ethnic minority In term of sequence and customs, the New Year of Muong ethnic minority people is quite similar to the New Year of Kinh people. There is a unique tradition of “sac bua” singing that is being preserved. This is a kind of singing to wish Happy New Year. On the first and second days of the first month of the Lunar New Year, Muong children gather together to beat gongs and sing “sac bua”. They go through any household, which opens its doors to give children some money or cake.The popular games during the New Year of the Nung ethnic … [Read more...] about Traditional New Year of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups