On the first days of the Lunar New Year 2026, amid the lively and joyful atmosphere of spring, provinces and cities across the country have welcomed large numbers of visitors, marking the start of a year full of promise for the tourism industry.

Across Viet Nam’s northern mountain provinces, cho phien (periodic markets) have long been a space where local people meet, trade and exchange produce. Within the structure of a typical highland market, the livestock area holds a central place where buffaloes, cattle, goats and pigs gather, and where horses, in particular, remain a living symbol of livelihood and a long-standing cultural heritage.