On the morning of February 23, 2026 (January 7th of the Binh Ngo year), the Hue Ancient Citadel Relic Preservation Center organized the Ha Tieu (noi lowering) ceremony at Trieu Mieu and The Mieu, Hue Citadel.
The ceremony is solemnly performed according to Nguyen Dynasty royal court rituals, marking the moment of closing the Lunar New Year and opening up the daily rhythm of life in the heritage space. The rituals are recreated based on document research and inheritance of royal court ritual traditions.
After the downing ceremony, the New Year's seal opening ceremony took place in a bustling atmosphere. The organizing committee prepared ink and paper for calligraphers to write the characters Phuc, Loc, Tho, Khang, Tam. The seal carved with four Chinese characters "Phu, Tho, Khang, Ninh" was lowered from the Neu tree and stamped on each calligraphy painting to give to visitors, carrying the meaning of wishing prosperity, longevity, health and peace.
Along with the Thuong Tieu Festival taking place on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ha Tieu Festival is held annually on the 7th day of the first lunar month, contributing to creating a highlight of cultural activities at the beginning of the year and attracting people and tourists to Hue heritage.
Information from the Hue City Department of Tourism said that during the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday of Binh Ngo, the number of visitors to Hue increased sharply compared to the same period. Notably, tourism revenue increased by 350%.
Specifically, from February 14 to February 22, 2026 (from December 27 of the year At Ty to the 6th day of the Lunar New Year Binh Ngo), the total number of visitors to Hue City is estimated at more than 523,600, an increase of 245% compared to the same period. In which, international visitors are more than 249,260, an increase of 219%; domestic visitors are more than 274,770, an increase of 273%.
Tourism revenue is estimated at 1,121 billion VND, an increase of 350% compared to the same period. The number of overnight visitors reached about 113,632, an increase of 58%; including more than 54,190 international visitors (up 38%) and nearly 59,440 domestic visitors (up 81%). Average room occupancy reached about 78%.
