Tet get-together for overseas Vietnamese

Officials of Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and nearly 1000 overseas Vietnamese attended the incense-offering ceremony and a cultural festival at the Thang Long Royal Citadel in the afternoon of February 6.

The drum show called “Thang Long Drum Festival”.

The meeting was held on the same day as the Kitchen God’s Day, so the festival included a procession of the Kitchen God.

Two Kitchen Gods made of fruits.

After the procession, carp were released while this paper carp was burned.

The outdoor altar of the Kitchen God.

The rituals began with an oration to the Ly-Tran-Le kings.

Officials and overseas Vietnamese burn incense.

After the rituals, overseas Vietnamese went to the Bao Son Heaven Park for a banquet and festival.

President Nguyen Minh Triet released carp at the Bao Son Heaven Park (according to Vietnamese belief, the carp will turn into dragons that will bring the Kitchen Gods a report to the God in heaven on the last year’s activities of the lower world).

Many unique dances and songs were performed at the festival.

The event ended with a ten-minute firework show.