Commentators are blaming the spike in violence and the number of brawls that occurred during the Tet holiday on an apparent lack of self-control and patience among young people.

Patient admitted to Bach Mai Hospital

5,121 people were hospitalised from brawling during the eight-day holiday, including 13 who died from severe injuries. HCM City led the list with 317 cases, followed by An Giang and Kien Giang provinces with 230 and 224 cases respectively.

Trinh Hoa Binh from the Institute of Sociology said the number of brawls might be higher than officially recognised. "There are unreported cases and some in which no-one has to be hospitalised. But over 5,000 people were officially hospitalised because of brawls is an alarm pointing at increasingly violent behaviour," he said.

According to Binh, people seem to be more stressed during Tet and this could be made worse by high levels of alcohol consumption. He also claimed modern society lacked tolerance.

"Young people nowadays are more straightforward but they lack self-control and patience. The modern society is also too materialistic," he said.

He went on to say that the fight for sacred offerings were symbolic in the old festivals had become real fights nowadays.

Le Nhu Tien, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said over 5,000 was unusually high number. He agreed that while most cases started because of alcohol influence, moral education is being neglected in the family, school and society, he said.

Colonel Do Canh Thin from the Centre of Criminology Research and Criminal Investigation said in order to reduce the number of fights, society has to change itself and raise awareness on cultural behaviour, civic responsibility as well as legal knowledge.

Thin said, "A hot headed driver will change himself eventually if he is living in a society where everyone treats each other gently."