On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the weather in Hanoi turned cold and the central streets of the capital became less crowded. Many streets have a few plant vendors and are quite empty.
Peach blossoms are piled up on the sidewalk waiting for customers. 2-3m tall peach trees cost 200,000 – 500,000 VND/branch, according to vendors, which is only half the price compared to last year.
Beautiful branches cost only 400,000 – 700,000 VND. The vendors are willing to negotiate the price.
Fragments of peach trees and small branches for altar decorations cost only a few tens of thousands of VND. The vendors transport large bundles to the city’s central residential markets on the 29th of the Lunar New Year.
Larger and more expensive peach trees are harder to sell. Ms. Le Thuy, a peach vendor on Lang Street, said that the warm weather near the Lunar New Year caused the blooming of flowers earlier, and customers used this as an excuse to bargain. Ms. Thuy estimates that this year’s consumption is only 60% of last year’s.
The vendors sit crowdedly on the sidewalk, even taking naps, waiting for customers.
In the old quarter, the Tet flower market is busier, but mainly selling small branches and altar decorations. Customers can buy peach branches to display for Tet for as low as 80,000 VND.
While peach trees and kumquat trees are reduced in price, fresh flowers tend to increase slightly on the eve of Tet. Tulips range from 30,000 to 60,000 VND per flower, daisies from 6,000 to 8,000 VND per flower, violets from 50,000 to 60,000 VND per bunch…
