In Country Tours
The end of April/start of May is a busy time for holidays in Viet Nam…
Residents of Viet Nam just celebrated the Hung Kings’ Day on April 25th and now have two more holidays next week on Monday April 30th and Tuesday May 1st. For some people it will be an official 4-day holiday, so many will use this to get away from the cities and return to their home towns and families. For others, it will be the perfect opportunity to travel and explore one of the beautiful spots around this amazing country.
What are the holidays for?
Liberation Day is celebrated on April 30th and marks the ‘fall of Sai Gon’, which was subsequently renamed Ho Chi Minh City. This effectively ended the Viet Nam War (also known here as The American War). This date began the transition towards reunification of the South and the North into what is now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The day is commonly known as Liberation Day but also frequently referred to as Reunification Day. The full official name is the Day of Liberating the South for National Reunification.
The following day May 1st is the holiday for International Labour Day. This day is also known as International Workers’ Day and celebrates workers’ rights.
How is Liberation Day celebrated officially?
Many cities across Viet Nam will decorate their streets with colorful banners, flags and neon lights in the leadup to the Liberation Day holiday. Businesses and households will put a Vietnamese flag out the front of their buildings, so the streets will be full of red flags with yellow stars. Most cities and towns will have official celebrations including parades, concerts and fireworks. Many festivals and special events including cultural and sporting events will also be planned for these days.
Ho Chi Minh City (Sai Gon)
Ho Chi Minh City will have fireworks at 9pm on April 30 from the roof of Thu Thiem Tunnel, which crosses the Saigon River, in District 2 and Dam Sen Park in District 11. These will also be broadcast on live TV. Many cultural and sports activities have also been planned to celebrate the day, including a cross-country run and a cycling tournament. Exhibitions of photos and sketches will be displayed at locations across HCMC including at the University of Fine Arts in Binh Thanh district, on Nguyễn Huệ walking street, along Đồng Khởi Street and in Chi Lăng Park and the Labour Cultural Palace in District 1.
Da Nang
The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2018 hosts its Opening Ceremony on the 30th of April (Liberation Day). This festival includes teams from around the world and teams from Viet Nam and Poland will compete on the opening date.
Hue
The 10th Hue Festival will be held from April 27 to May 2. It aims to celebrate Liberation Day as well as promote Vietnamese and Hue culture and tourism.
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long city hosts the 10th annual Carnaval Ha Long with special artistic performances and the theme “Ha Long Bay – Heritage – Wonder – Friendly Destination”.
Ha Noi
There is an exhibition at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hoang Dieu Street with more than 150 photos and artefacts. The display captures the atmosphere in Saigon and Hanoi during the historic moment on April 30 and can be seen until the end of May. The area around the Old Quarter and by Hoan Kiem Lake is also sure to be very busy with people celebrating the holiday.
How do the holidays affect the In Country Tours office?
Please note: the ICT office will be closed from 5:00pm Friday 27th April until 8:00am Wednesday 2nd May, as our team members take a well earned break.
Emergencies should call our hotlines +84 (0) 908 172 430 and/or +84 (0) 909 584 560. Urgent enquiries should be emailed to ict_support@incountrytours.com and sales@incountrytours.com with URGENT in the subject heading. All other enquiries emailed will be dealt with upon our return.
In closing:
In Country Tours hope everyone in Viet Nam has a safe and happy holiday time. We thank our team for all their hard work and hope they have a nice break and a happy International Labour Day.
Please take a look at these amazing photos of the fall of Sai Gon:
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/fall-of-saigon-vietnam-anniversary/
For more information on the fireworks in Da Nang click here:
https://danangfantasticity.com/en/da-nang-international-fireworks-festival-2018
