The Nguyen Hue flower street, which comes up every year in Saigon to celebrate the Lunar New Year will be open to tourists from 7 p.m. on January 22, two days before Lunar New Year’s Eve, until January 28. The Year of the Rat will begin on January 25 next year.

A family of rats singing and dancing to welcome spring will greet visitors at the entrance of the flower street. The sculptures will be based on the famous "Rat’s wedding" Dong Ho painting.

The art of Dong Ho paintings originated in the eponymous craft village on the banks of the Duong River in Bac Ninh Province, about 35 km (21 miles) from Hanoi in northern Vietnam.

Dong Ho folk painting Dam cuoi chuot or Rat's wedding.

As in previous years, the 720-meter flower street will stretch from the City Hall on Le Thanh Ton Street to Ton Duc Thang Street by the Saigon River, with colorful floral arrangements.

Saigon’s flower street first opened in 2002 and has become one of the biggest annual events in Vietnam’s southern metropolis. It marks the coming of Tet, the Lunar New Year festival.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a seven-day holiday that will start January 23, 2020, two days before the Lunar New Year's Eve.

Government offices and state-owned companies will close for seven days from January 23 to 29. Schools and other businesses across the country usually follow the same break as government offices.