HCMC readies for traditional Tet

HO CHI MINH CITY – The city is is preparing to organise a clutch of events to celebrate Lunar New Year, a report on the vietnamtourism website said.



A spring flower festival featuring up to 6,000 exhibits is planned to be held on February 1-12 at Tao Dan Park in District 1.



Visitors will be able to see displays of bonsai, ornamental plants, orchids, cacti, apricots and peach blossoms, ornamental birds, fruit arrangements and a rock garden.



The festival programme includes contests for artistic flower arrangements, songs by pet birds and a traditional bird fight.



The 12-day festival is set to feature spring-themed musical performances, folk games, a circus and exchanges with veterans of the 1968 Tet General Offensive and Uprising against the Americans and entrepreneurs, scientists and artisans.



Three flower markets would be set up from January 30 to February 6 at the September 23, Gia Dinh, and Le Van Tam parks.



The city’s zoo-botanical garden is also preparing to celebrate Tet. Its director, Nguyen Thi Hien Luong, said tourists would have the opportunity to see four zebras, two African rhinos, 20 antelopes and several centuries-old plants.



Nguyen Lam Hai of the Public Passenger Transport Centre said more buses would be pressed into operation on busy routes during Tet to serve 500,000 passengers a day, 45 percent more than on normal days.



For 20 days until February 16, an additional 130 buses with 50 seats or more would service inter-provincial routes from the Western and Eastern bus stations, he said.