In the days leading up to Tet, it’s not difficult to come across images of young people dressed in festive attire, taking Tet photos at these familiar yet unique locations in Ho Chi Minh City.
“If you want a Tet-themed photo set, instead of sitting in a studio, going to outdoor photo spots will be much more interesting,” says Vo Thuat, a photographer at Thuat’s Photo Shop in Ho Chi Minh City.
1/ Ben Thanh Market
As usual, every Tet season, Ben Thanh Market – a long-standing cultural icon in the city – becomes livelier with groups of people coming to take photos to welcome the Lunar New Year. Located in the heart of District 1, the ancient architecture of Ben Thanh Market is unique, attracting young people for photo shoots. Ben Thanh Market exudes an old-world charm, suitable for most ao dai designs, especially the modern wide-sleeved style, the “Saigon lady” standard. Besides the familiar clock tower at the South entrance, this 13,000 m² market area has many ideal check-in corners for you to pose: the flower market at the North entrance, crossing the road at the West entrance, souvenir stalls, etc. Riding a cyclo or a cub motorbike as your “co-star” is also worth trying.
Without spending an entrance fee, leaving with a perfect Tet photo set in hand is a great idea after visiting Ben Thanh Market.
2/ Vietnamese Ao Dai Museum
Located on Long Phuoc islet, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese Ao Dai Museum preserves and honors the beauty of traditional ao dai, characterized by its meditative and tranquil colors, housed in a yin-yang tiled roof house. The Vietnamese Ao Dai Museum is an ideal place for taking pictures with traditional costumes.
Tourists can enjoy an open architectural space, close to nature, and capture beautiful moments with ao dai. Moreover, the museum also rents a professional photo space of nearly 20,000 m² with countless shooting angles, promising not to disappoint photo enthusiasts. The traditional market area is open until the 28th day of the lunar New Year, offering the chance to enjoy the Tet atmosphere and taste traditional Vietnamese village dishes.
3/ Museum of Traditional Medicine
The building of the Museum of Traditional Medicine, also known as Fito Museum, is located on Hoang Du Khuong Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, with one ground floor and 6 floors with 18 rooms for visitors. The Museum of Traditional Medicine showcases the characteristic features of traditional architecture from various regions and ethnic groups in Vietnam.
This spacious area of nearly 600 m² is popular among young people for its traditional architectural style, primarily using wood as the main material. Many young people add a personal touch to their photos with Ngoc Binh ao dai from the Nguyen dynasty. Not only a place to preserve artifacts and ancient remedies from the time of kings, but it is also an ideal place to highlight peach blossom, brocade, Ngoc Binh ao dai, and velvet ao dai with nostalgic colors.
4/ Thanh Da Residential Area
Being one of the first residential areas in Saigon, Thanh Da Residential Area, with nearly 50 years of history, is a familiar location for vintage-style Tet photos. Simply crossing the Kinh Bridge takes you to Thanh Da area in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. From old houses, flower stalls to fruit stands, or simply the neighborhood bulletin board, they can all become a dazzling background for traditional costume photos. When visiting Thanh Da Residential Area, it’s advisable to choose vibrant colored ao dai, such as red and pink, to avoid blending into the background.
With Tet approaching, refer to the list of these locations to promptly “acquire” for yourself a pleasing spring photo set.
