Tens of thousands of people flocked to Hoan Kiem Lake in downtownHanoi to watch the fireworks display during the first minutes of thenew Lunar New Year on Feb. 3.
Even the cold air at midnight seemed to heat up with the crowds of pedestrians and vehicles.
While firework displays were set off at 29 sites throughout the city,it seemed everyone wanted to go to Hoan Kiem Lake, where artisticperformances were held on several outdoor stages, and countless lightsand balloons had been hung up for the year’s most important annualfestival.
After the fireworks, the flow of people began to disperse, bringing an excited air to even the smallest alleys.
Spring has officially arrived./.