Tết Nguyên đán 2026 - the year of Binh Ngọ approaching, the trend of Tet photo shoots is heating up day by day. Alongside familiar accessories like flowers, fans, paper umbrellas, this year a surprising accessory is making waves on social media: handmade horse figures appearing in ao dai photos, personal Tet photos, and studio concepts.

Simply search the keyword "taking photos with handmade horses" on TikTok, a series of videos showcasing behind-the-scenes, finished products, and Tet concepts will appear. Netizens are excitedly going out to take photos, many studios are quick to catch the trend, and photo schedules are booked up early. But behind those glamorous frames, how do the photographers and creators view this trend?

From custom-made paper horses to store-bought horses, all are reigning

Among those who early experimented with the concept of Tet photo shoots with horses, Ms. Nguyen Vo Thuy Trang (MiuMiu), currently living in Buon Ma Thuot City (Dak Lak), shared that this idea came to her quite naturally.

As someone who loves ao dai and often creates photo sets with traditional colors, when she learned that Tet 2026 is the year of Binh Ngọ, Trang had the desire to have a photo set directly related to the zodiac of the year. At that time, the trend of taking photos with horses was not as popular as it is now.

"When I was shooting, handmade horses were almost unavailable. After browsing TikTok and seeing someone taking photos with a horse since November, I started to come up with the idea of combining ao dai with horse imagery for the year of Binh Ngọ, then discussed with the photographer to find someone to make a custom horse," Trang shared.

The photo set, with a cost of 2.4 million VND including the horse accessory, was completed. Trang invested in the costume herself. The result after about 1 hour of shooting was a satisfactory photo set. "This is a set of photos worth preserving, as it not only brings more attention to Vietnamese ao dai but also combines the zodiac element of the year," Trang added.

In Hanoi, Mr. Le Tran Dac Ngoc also followed this trend. However, working in the creative field, he came up with the idea of using store-bought horses (paper horses - often used in ritual offerings) purchased at a ritual items store in Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi for only about 80,000 VND per horse.

Studio owners profit from the trend, handmade horses are not enough for photoshoots

"The horse carriage is closely associated with rituals. When placed in the context of ao dai and the streets, the photo set becomes both familiar and strange. From a visual perspective, the vibrant colors and decorative structure of the horse carriage are very suitable for fashion photography," he said.

According to him, this is a thoughtful choice for those who want to take Tet photos with horse accessories but do not want to spend too much. "Horse carriages come in many designs, easy to find, inexpensive but still create visual highlights if you know how to exploit them," he said.

Further explaining the idea of the photo set, Mr. Dac Ngoc said: "2026 is the Year of the Horse, so I want to create a Tet photo set with images directly related to the zodiac sign of the year. In Eastern culture, the horse is not only the animal of the year but also a symbol of movement, perseverance, and 'successful breakthroughs.'"

Not only in the above two cases, many people taking Tet photos said they are willing to invest time and money in concepts related to the zodiac sign of the year. For them, incorporating the image of a horse into the frame is not just following a trend, but also a way to convey wishes for luck and success in the new year, and that is why these photo sets are considered worthy of preservation.

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