Hanoi welcomes 308,000 tourists during Tet

Hanoi, February 16 (VNA) – Vietnam's capital of Hanoi received nearly 308,000 visitors during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday this year, up 17 percent compared with last year, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. From February 6 to 12, the number of foreign arrivals reached more than 85,000, up 63 percent, mainly from the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and France. Total tourism revenue for the Tet holiday season was estimated to increase by 4 percent to 984 billion VND (nearly 43 million USD). From February 8 to 12 (the first to fifth day in the lunar calendar), about 150,000 holiday-makers visited the Temple of Literature. Most came to the temple to pray for good luck for examinations in the coming new year. Built in 1070 in honour of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural relic consisting of the Temple of Literature and Vietnam’s first university.