Vietnamese people in the old days put up tall bamboo poleswith red garment strips hanging on them during Tet, believing that the polesprevented ghosts and monsters from entering the community during the holiday.The tradition of raising the “Neu” pole remains alive today in many villagesand homes around the country.
“Neu” tree is a sacred symbol that wards off evil spirits and misfortunes ofthe old year and prays for a lucky and auspicious new year.
The Vietnamese peacekeepers in South Sudan used a discarded antenna pole to make the10-metre “Neu” tree and decorated it with strings of colorful flags andornaments recycled from nylon. A national flag was placed atop the “Neu” treewith a wind chime made of bamboo hung beneath.
The traditional tree can be seen from far away, capturingthe interest of local people, UN staff at the mission, patients, and visitors./.