Traditional Tet rituals re-enacted at Thang Long relic site

A ceremony was held on February 2 at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi to release carp to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods and erect a Neu pole in celebration of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long on the 23rd day of the last month of the Lunar Year of the Tiger, which falls on Feb. 2 this year. (Photo: VNA)

A farewell ceremony is held at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long for Kitchen Gods to make their yearly visit of Heaven. As the legend goes, the Kitchen Gods ride carps to Heaven on the 23th day of the last month of every lunar year to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to the God of Heaven. (Photo: VNA)

Releasing carp to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods is a traditional cultural practice preserved by the Vietnamese people over the generations. (Photo: VNA)

A Neu pole is erected at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. (Photo: VNA)

Foreign tourists join in the ceremony erecting the Neu pole. (Photo: VNA)

VNA