There were only a few customers waiting when gold shops on Tran Nhan Tong and Cau Giay streets opened at 5 am on February 19, which was the 10th day of the first lunar month or Wealth Day.
A guard at a local gold shop on Tran Nhan Tong Street, Nguyen Van Ha, said it was rare to the see the street which gathers the largest number of gold shops in the city, being so empty as it usually would see long queues of customers on this day.
Local gold shops had arranged lots of seats for customers but few had arrived.
At 6.30 am, a big gold shop in Cau Giay Street received some more customers but a staff member said that it was still very quiet compared to the same period last year.
"Many people had bought gold before this day to avoid the crowd," he said. "Meanwhile, others have chosen to buy online."
A customer at the shop, Nguyen Thu Huyen, said that she always bought some gold on the Weath Day to hope for good luck and she was surprised by the quiet atmosphere this year.
Inside a gold shop.
On February 19, SJC gold at Bao Tin Minh Chau shops was bought at VND75 million per ounce and sold at VND 78 million per ounce, which showed a decrease of VND800,000 and VND400,000 per ounce, respectively, against yesterday's prices.