18 couples tie the knot in mass wedding in Hanoi on October 15. (Photo: VNA)

The event was co-organised by the Hanoi chapters of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam Youth Federation to mark the 68th anniversary of the Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10, 1954 - 2022).

It also aimed to raise public awareness of the “new lifestyle” wedding practices which promote simple, cost-saving wedding ceremonies that preserve traditional values.

The couples offered incense and a set of two traditional Vietnamese sweet cakes - “Banh Com” and “Banh Phu The” - that are 130kg in total weight at King Ly Thai To Monument and Ba Kieu Temple as a gesture to honour the country’s traditional cuisine.

“Banh Com” is a sweet cake made of green sticky rice and green beans and “Banh Phu The,” meaning conjugal cake, symbolises the loyalty of a husband and wife and is normally served at weddings. Produced by Bao Minh Confectionary JSC, the set were recognised as the largest of their kind in Vietnam.