Setting up the New Year’s tree (cay neu ) is one of the activities drawing visitors’ special attention at a cultural festival opened at the Vietnam Mu seum of Ethnology, Hanoi , on January 23.

Traditionally, on the 23 rd day of the last lunar month, Vietnamese people usually hold a ceremony to set up a cay neu in front of their house. Cay neu, often made of bamboo with a ring and a red scroll on its top, is believed to help ward off devils during the longest and the most important annual festival in Vietnam . On the seventh day of Lunar New Year, the tree is taken down.

This custom, however, is hardly found in the country in these days.

This year, on the day, which falls on January 23, the museum invited people from Co Loa, Dong Anh district, Hanoi to erect a cay neu (New Year’s tree) in the ground of the museum, Museum Director Vo Quang Trong said.

Visitors to the festival also have a chance to take part in such activities as wrapping “chung” (square) cake, a typical cake for Tet, writing calligraphy and traditional games.-VNA