Are you wondering at which place you will feel our special Vietnamese holiday, Tet Nguyen Dan, the most? Look no further than the Red River Delta of Vietnam. According to Professor Luong Duc Hien, the word “Tet” is a unit of weather in a year. Since 5,000 years ago, Vietnam has been developing the system, in which one year is divided into 24 Tet-units. “Tet Nguyen Dan” means the first Tet of these 24 sections. This first Tet is also known as a fresh beginning, the most meaningful Tet of the year.
Fun fact: The land from Hue to Nha Trang, has been a part of Vietnam since the 15th century. The South was born even later. Nonetheless, the bustling atmosphere is no less intensive, even more than in the North, as parts of the tourist city’s nature!
Before Tet, you will also feel how the locals of Nha Trang prepare for this special event, delicately decorating streets with flowers, lanterns, and ornaments. Along some large walking streets, the golden apricot flowers display their color under the radiant sunshine. People use these areas as a temporary space for selling Tet flowers. If you visit Nha Trang during this time, you can check out this comprehensive article about what to see and do in Nha Trang.
Contents
Places that are open during Tet:
Museums
Alexandre Yersin Museum – the museum illustrates the life and great contributions of the respectful Doctor Yersin during his life in Vietnam.
- Address: 10 Tran Phu Street
- Opening Time: Monday – Friday from 7:30AM to 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM; Saturday from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM
National Oceanographic Museum – this is a great place to learn about marine life.
- Address: 1 Cau Da Street.
- Opening Time: 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM (daily)
Long Thanh Photo Exhibit – the gallery belongs to Long Thanh, a photographer who is famous for his monochrome images collection of local real life.
- Address: 126 Hoang Van Thu Street
- Opening Time: Monday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Website: http://www.longthanhart.com/
Religious Sites
You should really pay at least one of these sites a visit to see how people spend their first days of the new year praying for a good year ahead. In Vietnamese Buddhism, there is a new year ceremony called praying for peace and luck for the country and its peoples (Quoc Thai Dan An). Typical pagodas in Nha Trang have yet to organize this ceremony. But who knows, they may do it this year?!
Long Son Pagoda – the most well-known pagoda of Khanh Hoa province, with a sitting Buddha Statue of 1.6 meters in height.
- Address: 23 Thang 10 Street, Nha Trang
- Opening Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (daily)
Suoi Do Pagoda – honoring Bodhisattva, the pagoda rewards visitors with serene scenery after they have completed a climb of 200 stairs to get there.
- Address: Suoi Hiep Commune, Dien Khanh District, Nha Trang
- Opening Time: 6:00AM – 6:00 PM (daily)
Po Nagar Cham Towers – built in the 7th century by the Cham people, this complex is now one of the most precious cultural and religious heritage sites of Nha Trang city.
- Address: North side of Xom Bong Bridge, on the bank of Cai River
- Opening Time: 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Admission fee: VND 22,000
Nha Trang Cathedral – with elegant architectural structure and magnificent stained-glass windows, this French-built Cathedral is an alluring destination in the city’s heart for many photographers.
- Address: Nguyen Trai Street – Phuoc Tan Street, Nha Trang
- Opening Time: Mon – Sat 5:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sun 4:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Flower Festival 2023
Nha Trang city prepares Spring Flower Festival in 2023
Organize Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Spring Flower Festival in 2023. According to the content of the Plan, the time to organize the exhibition of works is 13 days, from January 14, 2023 to the end of January 26, 2023 (December 23 of the Tiger Year to January 5 of the Cat Year).
The opening ceremony will be held at 19:00 on January 14, 2023 (on December 23 of the Tiger Year). Opening time of the Spring Flower Festival is from 7:00 a.m to 10:00 p.m daily, the venue of the Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Spring Flower Festival 2023 will use the entire campus of Yen Phi Park, Thieu Nhi Park, part of the sidewalk and the roadbed of Phan Chu Trinh street, section from Pasteur to Tran Phu, Ngo Quyen streets, section from Pasteur to Phan Chu Trinh, Pasteur streets (section from Le Loi to Phan Chu Trinh), Pasteur street (section from Yersin to Le Loi) are the way to the Spring Flower Festival.
- Opening time: 8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Start: January 14, 2023 to the end of January 26, 2023
Visit Spring Flower Festival of Tet Ky Hoi 2023
(from January 1st– February 9th)
From January 1st to February 9th, 2019, the Spring Flower Festival will open at Yen Phi park on Tran Phu street. With the space of 4.200 m2, the festival promises to display lots of flower artworks from Khanh Hoa province and neighboring areas, including Da Lat.
Typical Local Restaurant
Nem Nuong Vu Thanh An – one typical fried pork restaurant in Nha Trang.
- Address: 4 Phan Boi Chau Street, Nha Trang
- Opening time: 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Bo Nuong Lac Canh – the most well-known Beefsteak Restaurant in Nha Trang
- Address: 44 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Nha Trang
- Opening time: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Yen Vegetarian Restaurant & Yoga Center – the top rated vegetarian restaurant in Nha Trang.
- Address: 46/9 Le Thanh Ton Street, Nha Trang
- Opening time: 7:00 AM – 9:30 PM (daily)
- When it resumes working, there will be a lucky money program for customers during several New Year days!
After Tet, most businesses resume their work on January 27th, 2023. Hence, afterward, Nha Trang will return to its peaceful atmosphere of a being little coastal city. You will love Nha Trang!
Tet is the time of family reunions in Vietnam. That said, such public activities are not the main part of Tet, rather, they represent a beautiful addition to enhance the happiness of the locals. When you drop by Nha Trang, Da Lat, or any other city in Vietnam, you will see this same mindset. Thus, if you are visiting this country with your family, that’s brilliant! Enjoy the days with your loved ones to the fullest. If you are traveling with your friends, we believe that this is a chance to honor your friendships. Don’t forget to send your family a postcard! And if you are traveling alone, don’t hesitate to join the crowd and make friends with the locals (maybe the hosts that are taking care of your stay, your tour guides, who knows!), you will feel that many people in this country are friendly and ready to smile!
A perfect Tet itinerary made just for you!
We’ve gone through all the trouble and mapped out how you can spend your days while visiting Nha Trang during Tet. Just follow the itinerary, and you’ll have a great time in the city and experience it like you should.
This itinerary has three options of travel styles for each day, and activities will change depending on the type of travel you prefer, whether you’re adventurous or looking for a more laid-back relaxing time. We hope you enjoy our city.
If you are still looking for an ideal accommodation with super friendly hosts, see this post
For more Tet Guides, check out Hanoi, Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An, Da Lat, Saigon.
If you enjoyed reading this article and would like some more fun info about what to see, do, and eat (and a bunch of interesting cafes!) in Vietnam, follow us at the Phuot3mien Blog!
