The Beauty Of Vietnamese Tet Holiday Across Five Continents
	Foreigners Distribute Bottled Water to Tet Travelers

First Tet in Hanoi

The flower market at Thong Nhat Park in 1993 was Andy's initial destination in Hanoi. This market, the largest of its kind in the city at the time, was bustling with locals choosing peach blossoms, kumquat trees, and other ornamental plants to decorate their homes for Tet.

Hanoi Tet market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

"The atmosphere at the flower market was truly special. Most of the sellers were farmers from nearby villages, bringing their year’s harvest to Hanoi. You’d see peach branches and small kumquat trees being carried in baskets," Andy recalled.

Through his lens, Andy captured the smiles of the sellers and the eager expressions of the buyers. "It seemed like everyone wanted to bring home a piece of spring," he observed.

Prompted by a Vietnamese friend, Andy visited Binh Da village (Thanh Oai, Hanoi), famous for its traditional firecracker craft. Driven by curiosity, he made his way to this small village.

Binh Da firecrackers market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

"I visited Binh Da on January 20, 1993, just days before Tet. Back then, villagers were still making firecrackers, which were later banned in Vietnam from January 1, 1995. The scene was unbelievable: rows of stalls on the main street overflowing with pink firecrackers, ranging from pencil-sized to wrist-thick," Andy recounted.

Binh Da firecrackers market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

Andy also attended the renowned firecracker procession in Dong Ky village (Tu Son, Bac Ninh) on the fourth day of Tet. Two enormous firecrackers, symbols of luck and prosperity, were paraded through the streets amidst vibrant drumbeats and the enthusiastic cheers of villagers.

"The firecrackers were so massive I had to look up to see their full height. They were beautifully decorated with intricate details," Andy reminisced.

Dong Ky firecracker procession festival in 1994. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

What impressed him most was the festival’s lively atmosphere. Young men in traditional attire carried the firecrackers while shouting in unison, and locals lined the streets, waving and cheering.

"The sense of community in this festival was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was not just a ritual but a profound source of pride for the entire village," he said.

Dong Ky firecracker procession festival in 1994. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

Unforgettable Memories

Andy Soloman’s experiences in Vietnam during Tet in 1993-1994 became cherished memories. Over the years, he returned to Binh Da and Dong Ky, revisiting the places and people captured in his old photographs.

In December 2024, Andy reunited with Nguyen Van Thanh, a former firecracker seller from Binh Da, and gave him a copy of a photograph taken decades earlier. (Photo: Andy Soloman)

"These days, Binh Da is silent without the sound of firecrackers. Walking through the village now, I feel a sense of peace, so different from the bustling scene I witnessed over 30 years ago," Andy remarked.

One of his most touching encounters was meeting a man featured in one of his photos. "When he saw the picture, he laughed and shared stories from that time," Andy recalled.

Andy is planning a photography exhibition in Hanoi in 2025 to showcase the people and moments he captured during the 1990s, including scenes from his first spring in Vietnam. Through this exhibition, he hopes to inspire younger generations to appreciate Vietnam’s cultural heritage, particularly the beauty of traditional Tet.

"For me, Tet is not just a time to welcome the new year but also a moment for people to connect, with one another and with their traditions. I feel fortunate to have preserved these meaningful moments through my lens," Andy shared.

Photographer Andy Soloman. Andy Soloman, born in 1962, is a British photographer. During his time in Hanoi, he worked for various newspapers and news agencies before becoming a Reuters correspondent in 1997. Although his work with Reuters often took him away from Vietnam, his family frequently visited Hanoi. In late 2022, Andy and his wife returned to Vietnam to reconnect with the people and places he once photographed. He named his project Echoes: Vietnam Retraced, reflecting his journey to rediscover Vietnam in his memories.

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