Lantern Festival or Tet Nguyen Tieu

After a lunar new year comes the Lantern Festival or Tet Nguyen Tieu that the Chinese community organises activities such as lantern hanging in streets or union processions. The Lantern Festival takes place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to mark the first full moon of a year. It is one of the biggest celebrations in South East Asian countries that include Vietnam.

On this day, district 5 in Ho Chi Minh City is a hub of activities. Thousands of people flock to pagodas or buddhist temples to pray for happiness, prosperity, and longevity. While other festival goers pour out into streets to enjoy dragon procession in colorful streets. Some people are clad in clothes of famous characters in Chinese novel in a "Journey to West".

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online