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| A woman takes a photo of the empty streets at the Ngô Quyền-Lý Thường Kiệt intersection in downtown Hà Nội. |
After a few busy days shopping and preparations in the run-up to Tết, the first day of the lunar new year is usually one of the rare occasions of calmness when the hubbub of a fast-changing Hà Nội winds down as a significant portion of the population return to their hometown for the long holiday and most people traditionally stay in with their families after a late and festive night ringing in the new year.
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| The vacant Book Street 19/12 in Hà Nội’s centre. — VNS Photo Việt Thanh |
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| People offering incense and praying at the 15th-century Quán Sứ Buddhist Pagoda in downtown Hà Nội. As per long-standing tradition, at the beginning of the lunar new year, Vietnamese people visit pagodas to pray for happiness and good fortune. — VNS Photo Việt Thanh |
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| A woman in traditional áo dài stands on an empty Hàng Đào Street in the otherwise hectic Old Quarter of Hà Nội on the morning of February 5, the first day of the lunar new year. — VNS Photo Việt Thanh |
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| Contrary to the usual pulsating scene during most times of the year, the Cầu Gỗ area near the popular tourist destination Hoàn Kiếm Lake stands quiet on the first day of the Year of the Pig. — VNS Photo Việt Thanh |
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| Groups of young people gather for beer and street food delicacies on the sidewalk of Tạ Hiện Street, a popular destination for both locals and foreign tourists in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter. — VNS Photo Việt Thanh |
