Christmas celebration tips for those living in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City

An event entitled “Winter Sonata” promises to bring a chill to this year’s Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City by creating a village covered with snow.

According to the organizers, the event being held at the AEON Mall in Tan Phu from December 18 to January 1, offers visitors the chance to enjoy real Christmas air under 10 degrees Celsius, relish the sight of a beautiful Northern European village normally only seen in fairy tales, as well as join in numerous other Christmas activities.

In addition, and for those who are not fans of Western fairy tales, the Bangkok Night Market at Pandora City in Tan Phu District brings a taste of Thailand that should be put on everyone’s to-do list this Christmas.

The market, beginning on December 24, has around 120 booths featuring food from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Korea, as well as clothes, games and other activities.

The Bangkok Night Market will run every weekend for the next six months.

Elsewhere, a Christmas book fair is also planned at the Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition House on Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1 from December 23 to 27.

At the fair, visitors will have the chance to buy books at a 25 to 50 percent discount as well as to access new books which will be released on the occasion of Christmas.

The venue will be decorated in a Christmas theme and promises to deliver book lovers a festive atmosphere when they enjoy their favorite pages.

Moreover, the Children and Family Expo at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7 will add another choice for families.

The event, given a ‘Wonderland’ theme, is on December 26 and 27, and is anticipated to bring joy to kids and their families through a series of activities including games, dance, magic performances, and more.

Around 20,000 gifts are ready to be handed out to children.

Cinemas are also expected to be a popular choice with the newly released blockbuster “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” or the American fantasy comedy film “Krampus” being screened.

A street vendor wears a colorful balloon Santa Claus hat in District 1,Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo: Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile in Hanoi, holidaymakers can visit Hanoi Creative City in Hai Ba Trung District on December 24 for an event called “Xmasful” featuring free outdoor film screenings of romantic and Christmas-themed movies, as well as a mini outdoor music festival of Christmas song performances.

On top of this, a “Merry Xmas Concert” featuring local band Flashback will take place at the Heritage Space gallery in My Dinh District on December 23.

According to the organizers, the show will showcase songs from the 1960s to 1990s, classic Christmas and New Year songs, jazz and Latin symphony, as well as famous Vietnamese songs.

The gallery is also hosting an exhibition titled the “Brownian Movement," which will gather a variety of artworks by three foreign artists and 12 of their Vietnamese colleagues.