Vietnamese crowd streets for new year countdown parades

The dining area of a shopping mall in Hanoi is full. Photo by Ngoc Thanh

The largest shopping amll in Ha Dong District, around 20 km from Hanoi center, was packed with people coming for shopping, dining and playing indoor games.

People gather for a countdown event at a shopping mall to the east of Hanoi. Photo by Ngoc Thanh

A family of South Korean tourists take photos at the 2/4 Square in Nha Trang. Photo by VnExpress

Most of the people in Nha Trang have gathered at the 2/4 Square to celebrate the New Year starting around 7:55 p.m. Traffic police officers are present at the site, banning motorbikes on a 300 m section on Tran Phu Street.

Locals said New Year celebrations this year were not as bustling as last year’s.

Le Xuan, 38, said this holiday, many of his friends chose to travel to Da Lat instead of staying in Nha Trang as they wanted to “experience the cold for the new year.”

“This year, due to precarious economic situations, my family did not travel far, only hanging around the city. We will watch the fireworks at midnight. I hope everything will go well in 2024,” he said.

Thousands in Hue pour out the street for New Year’s Eve

On the last day of 2023, weather of Thua Thien-Hue is cool, and many people have gone down Hung Vuong Street of downtown Hue to wait for the New Year. The countdown event will feature music shows, including EDM performances.

There will also be a fireworks show at the city. Restaurants on Vo Thi Sau and Chu Van An streets have been full of customers.

At 8 p.m., the music show began, but people had been at the site an hour prior. Barricades have been erected around the area to maintain safety, while authorities have been in pace to re-route traffic.

People gathered in downtown Hanoi starting 7 p.m. for entertainment and waiting for New Year’s Eve. Cau Go-Dinh Tien Hoang area quickly became full of people waiting for the countdown event at the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

Thousands gather at Cau Go-Dinh Tien Hoang intersection to watch music shows. Photo by Giang Huy

The temperature is at 22 degrees. Monitoring stations of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment revealed that air quality has improved considerably compared to two days ago.

Several families said they wanted to go out early to avoid crowds.

New year decoration on Dinh Tien Hoang Street. Photo by Giang Huy

Roads like Hue and Hai Ba Trung saw increased numbers of vehicles. Parking lots along Hang Bai and Ly Thuong Kiet streets have also been rendered full, with several vehicles being parked directly on the roads.

Young people gather on Dinh Tien Hoang Street. Photo by Giang Huy

People began to flock to downtown areas starting 7 p.m., with several streets like Le Duan, Dong Khoi, Ton Duc Thang congested. Parking lots have also been rendered full.

People flock to the Nguyen Hue walking street in District 1 for music shows. Photo by Thanh Tung

At a parking lot in the basement of a building on Dong Khoi Street, people have also parked vehicles con the sidewalks, but spots have also run out from 6 p.m.

Hoang, 30, saif he had to spend an hour to look for a parking space.

“Now I have to look for a lot, a kilometer away, then walk back to the walking street.”

HCMC’s weather is favorable for entertainment activites, despite a rain in the afternoon.

In Hanoi, the countdown event began at 7:30 p.m. at the Cach Mang Thang Tam Square near the Hanoi Opera House, with the participation of several artists like My Linh, Blacka, DJ Quintino and JustaTee.

In several other localities like Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Vung Tau, other ceremonies and celebrations are also available to welcome the New Year.

The southern metropolis will launch fireworks for 15 minutes, from 12 a.m. to 12:15 a.m., at the beginning of the Saigon River tunnel in Thu Duc City and the Dam Sen cultural park in District 11.

Large numbers of vehicles are seen on Ton Duc Thang Street, HCMC’s District 1. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van