A complete guide to photographing Lunar New Year — from flower markets and fireworks to family rituals and temple crowds
Quick Answer
Tet festival photography is best captured in the week before and the first three days of Lunar New Year. For Hanoi, head to Hàng Lược flower market starting five days before Tet. In Saigon, shoot the Nguyen Hue flower street. Midnight fireworks require tripod + ISO 400 + f/8 + 2–4 second exposures. Always ask before photographing family rituals — these moments are sacred.
01
When to Arrive — The Week Before Tet
The most photogenic period of Tet isn't the holiday itself — it's the five to seven days before. This is when flower markets are at their peak, families are shopping for decorations and gifts, and the streets pulse with anticipatory energy. Arrive before the main New Year's Eve crowd to photograph the buildup.
Tet falls on a different date each year, dictated by the lunar calendar. It typically lands between late January and late February. Book accommodation early — cities fill up weeks in advance and many guesthouses close during the holiday.
Tet Photography Timeline
7 days before: Flower markets begin. Best variety and light.
3–5 days before: Streets decorated. Markets peak. Family shopping underway.
1 day before (New Year's Eve): Quiet streets in afternoon, then fireworks at midnight.
Day 1–3: Temple visits, family gatherings, lion dances begin.
Day 4–7: Crowds thin. Quieter streets. Authentic family scenes.
02
Flower Markets — The Heart of Pre-Tet Photography
Flower markets are the defining visual event of Tet preparations. Peach blossoms in the north, apricot blossoms in the south — each is a symbol of renewal and good fortune that transforms markets into seas of colour.
Hàng Lược Flower Market — Hanoi
Best: 5 days before Tet, 6:00–9:00 AM · Peach blossom, kumquat trees
The oldest and most atmospheric Tet flower market in Hanoi, held in the Old Quarter. Vendors arrive before dawn; by 6am the market is full. Photograph the stacked kumquat trees balanced on motorbikes, the peach blossom branches wrapped in newsprint, and the negotiations between buyers and sellers who've known each other for years.
Quảng Bá Flower Market — Hanoi
Best: 4:00–7:00 AM · Wholesale market, boats unloading
The wholesale flower market beside West Lake where blooms arrive by boat from the surrounding villages. This is where florists and market vendors source their stock — a more intense, less tourist-oriented scene than Hàng Lược. Bring a fast lens and high ISO tolerance for the pre-dawn light.
Nguyen Hue Flower Street — Ho Chi Minh City
Best: Evening · Apricot blossom, lanterns, festival crowd
Saigon's central boulevard transforms into a kilometre-long flower exhibition in the days before Tet. Unlike Hanoi's street markets, this is a designed display — but it draws enormous crowds and the energy is electric, especially at night when the lighting turns the blossoms gold.
03
New Year's Eve — Countdown and Fireworks
Midnight on Tet eve is the emotional peak of the festival. Fireworks launch from multiple points across major cities simultaneously — in Hanoi, the main display is at Hoan Kiem Lake. In Ho Chi Minh City, the Thu Thiem area and the Saigon River host the largest shows.
Find your position at least 90 minutes before midnight. The crowds are enormous and will only grow. Scope an elevated position — a rooftop bar, a bridge, or a high point overlooking the main fireworks site — for the best angles.
Fireworks Camera Settings
Tripod: Essential. No exceptions.
ISO: 200–400. Keep it low — fireworks are bright.
Aperture: f/8–f/11 for sharpness across the frame.
Shutter speed: 2–6 seconds, or use Bulb mode to capture full bursts.
Focus: Manual, pre-focused on the sky where fireworks will appear.
Remote shutter: Eliminates camera shake from your finger pressing the button.
Equally compelling: photograph the crowd watching the fireworks — upturned faces lit by the explosions, children on shoulders, couples embracing. These human moments often tell the story better than the fireworks themselves.
04
Temple Visits on New Year's Morning
The first morning of Tet, Vietnamese families visit temples to pray for good fortune in the new year. This creates extraordinary scenes — incense smoke filling courtyards, offerings of fruit and flowers, people in traditional áo dài dress, and the quiet intensity of private devotion in public spaces.
Ngọc Sơn Temple — Hanoi
Best: 6:00–8:00 AM, Day 1 of Tet · Incense, áo dài, offerings
The temple on Hoan Kiem Lake is Hanoi's most visited on New Year's morning. Arrive before 7am for manageable crowds; by 9am the queues stretch around the lake. The red Huc Bridge leading to the temple, framed by morning mist and incense smoke, is one of the most iconic Tet images.
Jade Emperor Pagoda (Phước Hải Tự) — Saigon
Best: 7:00–9:00 AM, Day 1 of Tet · Incense, offerings, devotion
Saigon's most atmospheric temple, with deep incense smoke and genuine devotional activity. Tet morning here is intense — multiple generations of families making offerings simultaneously. Move slowly, position yourself unobtrusively, and wait for moments of stillness within the activity.
Temple Etiquette During Tet
Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees at minimum
Remove shoes when entering inner sanctuaries
Do not photograph people mid-prayer without permission
Be aware that some families consider it bad luck to be photographed on New Year's morning — ask
Move quietly and slowly; abrupt movements disturb the atmosphere for everyone
Turn off flash — temples are lit atmospherically for a reason
05
Lion and Dragon Dances
Lion dances move through neighbourhoods from the first days of Tet through the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. Troupes travel street to street, performing at businesses and homes to bring good luck. The performances are loud, colourful, and fast-moving — and they come to you.
Position yourself low and close for the most dynamic shots. Use continuous autofocus and burst mode to catch the peak of jumps and turns. The troupe leader often signals moments of peak performance — watch for it.
Settings for Lion Dance Photography
Shutter speed: 1/500s minimum to freeze motion. 1/1000s preferred.
ISO: Whatever it takes — noise is preferable to motion blur.
Continuous AF: On, tracking mode if available.
Burst mode: Use it. The decisive moment happens in a fraction of a second.
06
The Quiet Days — Family and Domestic Life
During the first days of Tet, many shops close and the streets empty out in ways that feel surreal in normally busy Vietnamese cities. This quietness has its own photographic value — the empty motorbike-filled streets, closed shutters, a lone figure crossing an otherwise packed intersection. Hanoi and Saigon become different cities.
If you are fortunate enough to be invited into a Tet family gathering, this is where the most honest photography happens. Ancestral altar offerings, red envelopes being given to children (lì xì), multi-generational family meals — these are the private rituals that define the festival for Vietnamese families.
Photographing Tet Family Moments
Never photograph family altars, offerings, or private rituals without explicit permission
Ask through a Vietnamese-speaking friend or guide — context matters enormously
Show the photos to family members immediately — this builds trust and warmth
Prioritise presence over photography — you're a guest, not a documentarian
07
Hoi An Lantern Festival — Full Moon of Tet
The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of Tet marks the end of the new year celebrations. Hội An hosts the most spectacular version — the Ancient Town cuts its electric lights and the streets are illuminated only by thousands of paper lanterns. The Thu Bon River fills with floating lanterns drifting on the current.
Shoot from the Cầu An Hội bridge for the river reflection shots. Use a tripod and exposures of 1–3 seconds to capture the lantern trails in the water. Arrive by 7pm for the light transition from dusk to dark — this is when the lanterns have maximum visual impact against the residual sky colour.