Vietnamese honour guards prepare for the welcoming ceremony for Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on December 11, 2023. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





People ride motorbikes past a shop selling Christmas decorations on a street in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 15, 2023. Christmas is considered as one of the main annual religious festivals in Vietnam, with many consumers shopping for gifts and decorations leading up to 25 December, as well as various festive activities held during Christmas time. (Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA/EFE)





Tea plantations on hills facing each other create a kaleidoscope of curves and angles in the second decade of December 2023. The Long Coc Tea Hills are located in Phu Tho Province. The workers all wear traditional dress, which creates a beautiful connection to the rich history of the Muong people. Once the leaves are harvested they are dried and sold for approximately 25p per kilogram. (Photo by Sarawut Intarob/Solent News & Photo Agency)





These workers are surrounded by colourful incense sticks as they arrange them to be left out to dry. The vibrant scene was snapped by Sabina Akter in Hanoi, Vietnam in the second decade of December 2023. (Photo by Sabina Akter/Solent News & Photo Agency)





People take part in the Christmas Eve celebration at St. Joseph's Cathedral on December 24, 2023 in Hanoi, Vietnam. As a predominantly Buddhist nation, Christmas is not an official public holiday in Vietnam, but many people celebrate it as both a religious festival and a new cultural tradition. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images)





This aerial photo taken from a seaplane shows tourist boats sailing on the waters of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam's northeastern province of Quang Ninh on December 28, 2023. Vietnam's Ha Long Bay is losing its famous turquoise hue as pollution and over-development threatens wildlife and its picture-perfect image. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





A woman rides a motorbike carrying plastic toys on the outskirts of Hanoi on January 5, 2024. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





A laborer works on a construction site in Hanoi, Vietnam, 08 January 2024. Vietnam's overseas investment reached 420.9 million US dollar in 2023, a decline of 21.2 percent from 2022, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). (Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA)





People dine on a sidewalk in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Thursday, January 11, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





An instructor gives a dance lesson to his student at a park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Thursday, January 11, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





Scooter commuters wait for a traffic light to change at an intersection in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Thursday, January 11, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





A woman buys bread from a street vendor as a Vietnamese flag is lit by morning sunlight in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, January 11, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





Athletes perform during a martial arts show to welcome Indonesian President Joko Widodo (not pictured) at Quan Ngua sport center, in Hanoi, Vietnam 12 January 2024. Widodo is on an official visit to Vietnam from 11 to 13 January 2024. (Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA)





A mechanic works on a scooter at a repair shop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, January 13, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





A dog sits on a scooter as its owner pays for his purchase from a food vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Saturday, January 13, 2024. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)





Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the 5th extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly, in Hanoi, Vietnam, 15 January 2024. (Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA)





A man removes white hair for his friend in Hanoi street on January 18, 2024. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





A woman rides a bicycle transporting bamboo and rattan household items for sale on a street in Hanoi on January 19, 2024. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





In this photo taken on January 20, 2024 a tourist poses in front of incense sticks drying in a courtyard in the village of Quang Phu Cau on the outskirts of Hanoi. Families living and working in the “incense village” of Quang Phu Cau now also make sticks in yellow, blue and green, catering to visitors eager to snap shots for Instagram. (Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP Photo)





Members of the honor guard prepare ahead the welcome ceremony of German president at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, 23 January 2024. Steinmeier is on an official visit to Vietnam from 23 to 24 January 2024. (Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA)