Tet 2020

Tet is probably the most important celebration in Vietnam. It has been going on for longer than the revolution. For a period of at least a week everything is closed as everyone goes home to thier family and the family village. One of the features of Vietnamese culture is the significance of the village from where a person comes. It is the foundation of thier culture and thier identity. Like in Australia with the first Australians the importance of land and thier belonging to it, it is the same with respect to the Village. This can present problems for the unwary tourist or traveller. It is very hard to find a Bus, train or plane that is not full. Prices are always much higher sometimes as much as twice the price! All the shops are closed as are the restraunts and some hotels because everyone has gone home. The main streets of Hanoi are empty, you could swing the preverbial cat with impunity. Then on actual Tet day the world lights up and there are massive parties everywhere. It is new year and things are very similar to Australia with fireworks and public shows.

I am sharing Tet with the family of my dear friend Thanh in his village. It is called Dieu Luung and is located in Phu Tho province about 3-4 hours north west of Hanoi. Driving here through the Tet crowds was interesting. The countryside is dead flat as Hanoi is found in the Red River valley but as we progressed north and west we came to the beginnings of the mountains that create the uplands and the border country. Phu Tho is the province where it seems it all started some several millennia ago. There is a temple site nearby which is the Temple of the Hung Kings. These were the first Vietnamese and thier history is a mixture of mythology and reality. I just love it all and am obsessed by the history.

Since I have been in Dieu Luung it has been one long round of "parties". These are banquets where the whole family, Aunts, Uncles, parents, grandparents and children turn up. There are at least 8-10 dishes each time mostly different types of meat, chicken, duck, beef, pork, dog (it seems popular here). They are served in a variety of ways, stewed, barbequed, pressed cold meats, sausages and some. Then there are vegitables and rice. I have not seen noodles yet. The rice comes in the form of cakes and formed jelly type things. Most of these dishes are only served at Tet, perhaps because they require a great deal of effort and time for preparation. Whatever, it is one hell of a gastronomic experience mostly extremely enjoyable. No banquet is had without copious amounts of rice wine, a potent and vicious liquid that gets you legless very quickly. In previous years I have been required to sit on the floor with the entire family. This year has been different. All the older family members are seated around a table first. They have thier own dishes and thier own rice wine. I have been honoured to sit with them. So there I am sitting with 70, 80 and even 90 year old men. They have an incredible collective memory. It is truely an honour to sit and share food and drink with them. The younger folk sit on the floor. Women sit separately as do the children, the children have the floor and the women a table. Wives and children do the serving and clearing away. The whole thing is incredibly well organised and noone misses out.

The entire experience has been an incredible honour and very humbling. The sense of community displayed is palpable. That this has been going for hundreds of years and more is even more remarkable. Being here in Dieu Luung has demonstrated for me the absolutely amazing wealth that Vietnam has culturally and socially. People are really friendly and warm and open and just bloody fantastic. The way that they relate to each other as a family is amazing. The kids are a reflection of this. Absent is any teenage angst or child tantrums. They are very respectful to all thier family, old and young together. It makes me quite emotional to see this. It is easy to see why such a crowded place works so well. There are over 10 million people in and around Hanoi and it works! None of the pettyness and small mindedness found at home. Maybe I am looking through rose coloured glasses but that is my experience here. I am very very lucky to have this chance to experience the true wonder that is Vietnam.

The photos below come from Dieu Luung. They begin with Thanh's family home and continue on with the banquets