Hanoi (VNA) - ꧑Traditional culture and customs practiced during the Lunar New Year festival, called Tet in Vietnam, have left a deep and unforgettable impression on foreign visitors.

Whether they have been living in Vietnam for years or just visit the S-shaped land to experience a new region on their long journey across Asia, they have been deeply touched by the local traditional culture, customs, and people. Participating in a Tet event in Duong Lam village for the first time, Charlie Win from the US, the ambassador of a tourism club run by the Hanoi Department of Tourism, was totally surprised. Located in Son Tay town of the same name district just 44km away from Hanoi’s centre, the village has the typical features of a rural village with a giant banyan tree, fresh water well, and a communal house, along with 956 antique houses dating back 100 to 400 years. In 2006, Duong Lam became the first village recognised as a national historical and cultural relic. Win, who has been living in Vietnam for 13 years, expressed his genuine enthusiasm for the tradition of making square glutinous rice cakes, known as “banh chung” and of receiving the first calligraphic words of the year. Having a calligraphic work written on red paper to display during Tet is a local tradition to pray for good things, with the meaning of the letters mostly highlighting prosperity, longevity, and happiness. Win said that he also enjoyed meeting the artists from Dong Ho village to learn about their famous folk painting genre. Stemming from Dong Ho village in the northern province of Bac Ninh in the 17th century, the genre is printed by hand entirely from woodblocks. Dong Ho paintings were once used as decorations at homes in the Red River Delta during Tet. Hanging such them in the house at the beginning of a new year was believed to bring happiness and prosperity for the family. Having explored 43 provinces and cities nationwide, Win said he hopes that after each trip, he can spread nice messages about Vietnamese tourism. José Manuel Labrada González, a Cuban student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi who has been in Vietnam for four years, shared that he has been learning Vietnamese for one year and really loves the country, especially its capital. He said that Vietnamese people are very hospitable and diligent. The young man also expressed his passion for Vietnamese culture and delicious dishes. To him, one of the most beautiful cultural aspects of Vietnam during Tet is that every family makes “banh chung” and that small children and foreign guests like him are guided by local people to give it a try. Vandamme Christine, a French national, who was on a 13-day journey to explore Vietnam, said she seeks out off-the-beaten-track places that have yet to be heavily developed to immerse herself in nature, culture, local customs, and the real life of the indigenous people. The cool weather in the early days of the Lunar New Year is favourable for discovering remote villages. The holiday maker said she was impressed by the smiles and friendliness of the Vietnamese people along the way. She said she is very impressed with the city, its cuisine, landscapes, and the people, adding that she will definitely return to Vietnam./.