Banana leaves and bamboo strips are bustling in the streets.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, a bustling flow of goods for the holiday poured into the center of Thanh Hoa. Among them, bundles of lush green banana leaves and flexible bamboo strips—essential materials for wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes)—filled the markets, carrying the flavor of traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) into every home.

Video : Banana leaves and bamboo strips are bustling in the city streets.

On February 10th (the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month), the Dong Huong wholesale market for vegetables and food (Hac Thanh ward) was bustling with activity. From early morning, traders were busy sorting and bundling leaves to meet the ever-increasing demand from people in the city and surrounding areas.

On the stalls, banana leaves are neatly arranged into small, fresh bundles, ready to serve consumers.

Buyers carefully select bundles of intact, fresh leaves, hoping to wrap neatly shaped, beautiful banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), conveying a sense of meticulousness for a joyful Tet reunion.

Ms. Tran Thi Huong (32 years old), a small trader selling banana leaves at Dong Huong wholesale vegetable and food market, said that the closer it gets to Tet (Lunar New Year), the more popular this item becomes. According to Ms. Huong, she started bringing banana leaves to sell in the city from around the 18th day of the 12th lunar month, and the number of customers increased gradually every day, peaking in the days leading up to Tet.

"The price of banana leaves this year is quite stable, not increasing much compared to last year. Each bundle of about 100 leaves ranges from 45,000 to 80,000 VND depending on the quality," Ms. Huong shared.

Besides serving the local residents, many small traders from all over also come to Dong Huong wholesale market for vegetables, fruits, and food to get banana leaves to distribute and meet the demand for wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) at their establishments.

Besides bundles of lush green banana leaves, bamboo strips – the traditional material for tying cakes – also travel with vendors to the city, contributing to the full flavor of the traditional Tet holiday.

The bundles of bamboo strips are thinly and evenly split, soft and pliable, making it convenient, secure, and visually appealing for wrapping the cakes.

Ms. Le Thi Linh (70 years old) said: "Bamboo strips are sold in small bundles of about 50 strips, priced at around 15,000 - 20,000 VND per bundle. The strips are already split, so they are very convenient. Many people buy them along with banana leaves to wrap cakes."

According to local traders, most of the wild dong leaves sold in Thanh Hoa's central markets are sourced from people in the mountainous regions of the province. The period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) also provides an additional source of income for people in the highlands thanks to their work in the forest harvesting dong leaves.

From the forests and mountain slopes to the bustling city streets, the journey of banana leaves and bamboo strips is not just a story of buying and selling, but also contributes to preserving the beauty of traditional Tet (Lunar New Year), where the green banh chung (rice cake) remains a symbol of reunion and prosperity every spring.

Hoang Dong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/la-dong-lat-giang-ron-rang-ve-pho-278199.htm