In 1993, British photographer Andy Soloman first came to Vietnam and experienced the Lunar New Year. During this trip, he visited places that bear the mark of Vietnamese culture such as: Thong Nhat Park flower market, Binh Da fireworks village and Dong Ky fireworks festival.
First Tet in Hanoi
The Tet flower market at Thong Nhat Park in 1993 was the first place Andy set foot. This was the biggest Tet market in Hanoi at that time, where people crowded to choose peach blossoms, kumquat trees and other ornamental plants to decorate for Tet.
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| Hanoi Tet Market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman) |
“The atmosphere of the flower market at that time was very special. The vendors were mainly farmers from the countryside who came to Hanoi, bringing with them the products they had grown throughout the year. They were baskets of peach branches and small kumquat pots,” Andy recalled.
Through his lens, Andy captured the smiles of vendors and the eager eyes of buyers. “It seemed like everyone wanted to take a piece of spring home,” he commented.
Andy Soloman was suggested by a Vietnamese friend to visit Binh Da village (Thanh Oai, Hanoi), a traditional firecracker making village. Out of curiosity, he came to this small village.
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| Binh Da fireworks market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman) |
“I visited Binh Da on January 20, 1993, right before Tet. At that time, people here were still making firecrackers. This type of firecracker was banned from production since January 1, 1995. The scene in Binh Da that day was unbelievable. The main street was lined with stalls filled with pink firecrackers, from pencil-sized to wrist-sized,” Andy recalled.
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| Binh Da fireworks market in 1993. (Photo: Andy Soloman) |
In addition to the fireworks market, Andy also participated in the famous fireworks festival of Dong Ky village (Tu Son, Bac Ninh) on the morning of the 4th day of Tet. Two giant fireworks, symbols of luck and prosperity, were carried through the streets to the sound of drums and the enthusiastic cheers of the villagers.
“The firework was so big I had to look up to see it. It was beautifully decorated, with intricate details,” Andy recalled.
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| Dong Ky fireworks festival in 1994. (Photo: Andy Soloman) |
What impressed him most was the lively atmosphere of the procession. Young men in traditional costumes carried firecrackers and cheered. Local people stood on both sides of the road waving to welcome the procession.
“The community engagement in this festival is something I have never seen anywhere else. It is not just a ritual, but a source of pride for the whole village,” he said.
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| Dong Ky fireworks festival in 1994. (Photo: Andy Soloman) |
Memories never fade
The experiences in 1993-1994 in Vietnam during Tet have become a part of Andy Soloman's memories. Later, he returned to Binh Da and Dong Ky villages many times to find the places and people in old photos.
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| Photographer Andy Soloman met and gave back a souvenir photo to Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh in Binh Da village in December 2024. |
In recent years, Binh Da has been far from the sound of firecrackers. Walking along the village road now, Andy feels the peace and quiet, completely different from the scene he witnessed more than 30 years ago.
“I met a firecracker seller who appeared in my photo. When he saw the photo, he laughed and told me stories about that time,” Andy recalled.
Photographer Andy Soloman is planning an exhibition in Hanoi in 2025, where he will showcase photos of people and memorable moments he captured in the 1990s, including works taken during his first spring in Vietnam. Through the exhibition, he hopes the younger generation will better understand Vietnamese cultural values, especially the beauty of the traditional Tet holiday.
“To me, Tet is not only an occasion to welcome the new year, but also a time to connect people with each other and with traditional values. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to preserve those meaningful moments through my lens,” Andy shared.
Andy Soloman (born 1962) is a British photographer. While living in Hanoi, he worked for many newspapers and news agencies before becoming a reporter for Reuters in 1997. During his years working for Reuters, although he did not live in Vietnam, his family still regularly visited Hanoi. In late 2022, Andy and his wife flew to Vietnam and began to rediscover the subjects he had photographed. He named his project Echoes: Vietnam Retraced. |
Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/hoi-uc-tet-xua-qua-ong-kinh-cua-nhiep-anh-gia-anh-209785.html
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