At the 2024 Tet Giap Thin spring flower market, held in Ninh Binh City (Ninh Binh), there are hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of peaches, kumquats, grapefruits, orchids... The most noticeable things for tourists and locals when visiting and shopping at the market are the bonsai pots and grapefruit trees with dozens of gold-plated fruits. Every year on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Nguyen Huu Khang (38 years old, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh) buys bonsai kumquats and grapefruits to sell. This year, he also imported Dien grapefruit roots to add gold to the fruits and pots, and hired artists to decorate them for sale on the market. Mr. Khang said that all the gold used to plate the pots and fruits is industrial gold. Each pot of grapefruit after being plated with gold costs between 15 and 40 million VND. “This is the second year I have made gold-plated grapefruit to sell during Tet. The cost of gold-plating pots and fruits accounts for 20-30% of the value of the trees I sell. Gold-plating and decorating will create a highlight and unique value, attracting buyers to display during Tet,” Khang shared. Not only gold-plating pots and grapefruits, Khang also gold-plated kumquat pots. In addition, kumquats are grown on gold-plated house-shaped structures that look very eye-catching, with prices ranging from 1-3 million VND/pot.

Unique gold-plated grapefruits in Ninh Binh. (Photo by Tran Nghi)

The miniatures are also covered in gold. (Photo by Tran Nghi)

Golden flower pot. (Photo by Tran Nghi)

Gold-plated flower pots cost between 10 and 40 million VND. (Photo by Tran Nghi)

Gold-plated grapefruit and kumquat look very eye-catching (Photo: Tran Nghi)

The artist is drawing calligraphy on a grapefruit. (Photo by Tran Nghi)