Celebrating Tet joyfully and safely

During the nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday of the Year of the Horse 2026 (from February 14 to 22), a lively spring and Tet celebration atmosphere spread across the province's localities. Cultural, artistic, and sports activities were organized simultaneously to meet people’s needs for recreation and entertainment.

Many families choose the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee compound as a spring outing destination during the Tet holiday. Photo: Cong Nghia

Vibrant cultural and entertainment activities

This year, from February 15 to 21 (the 28th day of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of Tet), Uncle Ho's Memorial House, which is situated within the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee compound (Tran Bien ward), opened to welcome delegations, officials, Party members, and individuals from all walks of life to offer incense. Numerous cultural, artistic, and athletic events were organized across the province's 95 communes and wards; streets, neighborhoods, cultural houses, and historical sites were vibrantly decorated to greet spring.

On New Year’s Eve, 10 communes and wards, including Tran Bien, Binh Phuoc, Long Khanh, An Loc, Chon Thanh, Long Thanh, Tan Phu, Dai Phuoc, Bu Dang, and Loc Ninh, simultaneously set off fireworks and staged special art programs to welcome the new year. Thousands of residents and tourists gathered along central streets and at fireworks launch sites to enjoy the holiday, take photos, and capture the year’s first moments.

Throughout the Tet holiday, the Dong Nai Art Theater presented dozens of performances for residents across various communes and wards and also livestreamed them online. The highlight was the New Year’s Eve art program (the 29th day of the 12th lunar month) held in Tran Bien ward, under the theme “Dong Nai’s Aspiration to Rise with the Country,” which brought together many artists. On the evenings of February 22, 23, and 24, the unit continued livestreaming the program “Spring in the New Era” on the theater’s fan page.

The Dong Nai Culture and Cinema Center presented a special art program to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Binh Phuoc ward under the theme “Dong Nai in Radiant Spring Colors.” In addition, the center’s seven mobile cinema teams served residents throughout Tet with films, such as Mua do, Thau Chin o Siem, Duong xuyen rung, Seu co ve phuong Nam, and Nhung vien bi sac mau, attracting tens of thousands of viewers. At the same time, the center held two exhibitions to celebrate the Party and the spring in Loc Thanh commune and Binh Phuoc ward.

The program features a series of elaborately staged song, dance, and music performances. Photo: Quang Xuan

Many early spring sporting activities were also held, including the Kickboxing and Traditional Martial Arts Club Championship, and the Dong Nai Provincial Open Lion-Unicorn-Dragon Dance Festival, celebrating the Party and Spring 2026. On February 28 (the 12th day of the first lunar month), the Dong Nai Provincial Open Boat Racing Tournament will take place on the Dong Nai River in front of Tan Lan communal house relic (Tran Bien ward). This annual traditional event attracts many boat teams from inside and outside the province.

Cinemas across the province, such as Lotte Cinema (Lotte Mart Bien Hoa, Vincom Plaza Bien Hoa), CGV Bien Hoa (Co.opmart, Big C Dong Nai), Beta Cinema Bien Hoa (The Pegasus Plaza), Beta Long Khanh, and EVG Dong Xoai Cinema, screened many new films to serve audiences during the Tet holiday.

At Dong Nai Library (facility 1 in Tan Trieu ward, Campus 2 in Binh Phuoc ward), the Binh Ngo Spring Press Festival 2026 took place. Dong Nai Museum (Tan Trieu ward) organized a Vietnamese Tet miniature display from February 5 to 22, attracting many residents and visitors to explore and take commemorative photos.

At historical sites, communal houses, and pagodas such as Tran Bien Temple of Literature, Tan Lan communal house, Dai Giac pagoda, and the S’tieng ethnic cultural conservation area in Bom Bo hamlet, large numbers of residents and visitors came to pay respects in a solemn and orderly atmosphere. These sites strictly complied with fire prevention regulations; no votive paper burning or crowd congestion was recorded, ensuring activities remained in line with traditional customs. The festive atmosphere helped encourage officials, Party members, and residents to enter the new year with renewed determination and expectations.

Visitor and shopping numbers increased sharply

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, during the 2026 Tet holiday, Dong Nai recorded about 220,000 visitor arrivals for sightseeing and overnight stays, up 12% from the 2025 Tet holiday. International visitors accounted for about 2,000 arrivals. Total tourism revenue reached about VND 153 billion, up 18% from the Tet holiday in 2025.

Several destinations posted strong visitor growth, including Suoi Mo Tourist Area (Tan Phu commune) with more than 32,000 visitors; Son Tien Tourist Area (Long Hung ward) with about 30,000 visitors; Chua Chan Mountain scenic site (Xuan Loc commune) with about 25,000 visitors; and Buu Long Tourist Area (Tran Bien ward) with more than 20,000 visitors.

Many other attractions welcomed just over 2,000 to 6,000 visitors during Tet, including Cat Tien National Park and local golf courses (about 6,000 visitors each); Bu Lach grassland (Tho Son commune) with about 5,000 visitors; Qua Dieu Vang tourist site (Dong Tam commune) with about 4,200 visitors; and Ta Thiet relic (Loc Thanh commune) with about 3,000 visitors.

Visitors enjoy spring outings at Buu Long Tourist Area, Tran Bien Ward. Photo: Ngoc Lien

During the Tet holiday, accommodation prices remained largely stable, with average room occupancy at 35-40%. Tourism activities across Dong Nai were lively, safe, and stable. Measures to ensure visitor security and safety were implemented effectively, with no reports of sudden price hikes.

Representatives of several supermarkets and shopping centers across the province said that visitor and shopper numbers increased by 10–15% compared with the same period last year. Retailers proactively ensured adequate supply, extended opening hours, and increased staffing and checkout counters to serve customers during the Tet holiday. Promotional campaigns were also implemented to stimulate consumer demand. By February 22 (the 6th day of Tet), supermarkets and shopping centers had resumed normal operations and launched post-Tet promotions.

Le Van Hong, Director of GO! Dong Nai Supermarket (Long Hung ward), said that during the 2026 Tet holiday period, the number of visitors to the supermarket for shopping and visiting rose by about 10% compared with the same period in 2025. On peak days before Tet, the supermarket welcomed about 10,000 to 12,000 visitors per day. The supermarket reopened to customers on the second day of Tet (February 18) in the morning. From the third day of Tet (February 19), it returned to its regular operating hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Since reopening after Tet, the supermarket has welcomed an average of 6,000 visitors per day for shopping, dining, and other activities.

Ensuring security and order

During the Tet holiday, security and public order across Dong Nai province were generally well maintained. Recreational activities, spring outings, and residents' travel were conducted safely.

Provincial and local police forces maintain security during New Year’s Eve fireworks events. Photo courtesy of the police

According to the Provincial Police, during the Tet holiday, professional units and police forces in communes and wards across the province deployed their full strength, remaining on duty to carry out assigned tasks. At political events, entertainment activities, shopping areas, and spring outing sites with large crowds, specialized units were assigned to ensure security and public order.

Just before the New Year’s Eve event (February 16), hundreds of mobile police officers took up their assigned posts, coordinating with professional units of the Provincial Police, the Provincial Military Command, police and military forces in communes and wards, grassroots forces involved in safeguarding security and public order, and the self-defense militia to roll out synchronized plans to protect fireworks launch sites. With proactive planning and smooth coordination among the forces, security and public order at these locations were maintained, and the New Year’s Eve fireworks displays were ensured with absolute security and safety.

In crime prevention and law enforcement, the Provincial Police and local police forces promptly detected and handled numerous cases and related individuals in accordance with the law.

Reporting Team – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho