Hanoi will hold a series of fireworks shows at 31 venues in the capital on the upcoming traditional Vietnamese New Year's Eve, the country's biggest and most important national holiday.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, chairman of the Hanoi People's Council, the 31 venues include six high-range shows and 25 with smaller-range shows, each lasting 15 minutes.

Fireworks light up over the sky to welcome the Vietnamese Traditional Lunar New Year 2021 at the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times

The high-range firework will light up the sky at the Hoan Kiem Lake in Ba Dinh District, Thong Nhat Park in Hai Ba Trung District, Lac Long Quan Flower Garden in Tay Ho District, Van Quan Lake in Ha Dong District, and My Dinh National Stadium in Nam Liem District.

The fireworks will be launched at two locations by Hoan Kiem Lake, namely in front of the Hanoi Post Office and the headquarters of the Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) Newspaper. Traditionally, Hoan Kiem district has been the scene of the largest and loudest fireworks show on Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter, the capital's historic center.

"The remaining locations for shorter-range fireworks in 25 other districts and cities will be decided by local authorities. The fireworks, to be funded by private sponsors, will take place at 0:00 on January 22, 2023," Tuan said.

It will be the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak that Hanoi authorities will organize fireworks displays in the city's 30 districts to welcome the Lunar New Year, just as they did before the pandemic.

Last year, Hanoi canceled Lunar New Year fireworks and countdown events and banned gatherings near its one-and-only fireworks display location during the 2021 Lunar New Year celebration due to the complicated evolution of the novel coronavirus.

In the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, Hanoi launched Tet fireworks in all of the city’s 30 districts and towns. In 2020, as part of coronavirus prevention measures, Hanoi only allowed fireworks at Thong Nhat Park, and the event was televised instead of being open to the public. There was no Tet firework show in 2021.

The Lunar New Year holiday is the biggest holiday in Vietnam and an important occasion for family reunions. The 2023 Lunar New Year holiday will start on January 20 and last through January 26, according to the Vietnamese government's decision.