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Saigonese prefer to buy made-in-Vietnam Tet ornaments
Customers in Ho Chi Minh City this year prefer to buy Tet ornaments that have been made domestically.
Popular locally-made products such as coins, artificial yellow apricot flowers, and big strings of dummy firecrackers are being sold in many of the streets of the city.
Most of shop owners said, domestic products are considerably improved, in both quality and price, from years before. They are also cheaper than imports.
This year scrolls with parallel sentences, red envelops, figures of cats (we’re coming into the Year of the Cat) also attract a lot of buyers. Meanwhile, Chinese decorations are not only higher in price, but many of them feature rabbits, because China is welcoming the Year of Rabbit.
Mrs Sau, the owner of Tu Lam Shop in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, said more customers buy Vietnamese products, including ornamental Chung and Tet cakes, which sell from VND200,000 (USD10) to VND500,000 (USD25) each. Real Chung and Tet cakes are made from sticky rice, green bean and pork.
Several other products such as pictures of fairies, flowers and various deities are priced between VND50,000 (USD2.5) and VND100,000 (USD5) each. A string of firecracker costs from VND300,000 (USD15) to VND500,000 (USD25), a set of red envelops will cost around VND3,000 (USD0.15) to VND50,000 (USD2.5) each.
Most lanterns are priced anywhere from VND60,000 (USD4) to VND130,000 (USD6.5), depending on the size. The most expensive are sold for between VND230,000 (USD11.5) and VND780,000 (USD39) each.
Mr Hoang Tuan Phuong, a customer at My An Shop at 281 Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, said this year’s decorations are more diverse than last year.
Currently, shops are selling a set of parallel sentences for between VND60,000 (USD3) and VND240,000 (USD12), Mr Phuong said.
One of the best-sellers these days is yellow apricot flowers, made of cloth and sponge, meant to be pasted on walls or glass doors. A bag of these small flowers runs about VND5,000 (USD0.25) for a small bag, and VND10,000 (USD0.5) for a large one.
Rushing to buy Tet decorations
Cat pictures are hot items
Parallel sentences, an important decoration for Tet
