The Doan Ngo Festival market with fruits, rice wine, flowers, aromatic leaves... is bustling from early morning - Photo: NHAT XUAN
From the morning of May 31 (May 5th of the lunar calendar), at traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City such as Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district), Nguyen Tri Phuong market, Nhat Tao market (district 5) and many selling points along Truong Chinh, Au Co, Cong Hoa streets..., the buying and selling atmosphere was quite bustling.
The Dragon Boat Festival market is bustling early
Offerings for the Duanwu Festival are quite diverse, of which banh ú tro is the most common item, with rich designs and diverse types.
Small ones with mung bean filling cost 60,000-70,000 VND/dozen; medium ones 80,000-90,000 VND; large ones depending on weight 100,000-150,000 VND. Cakes without filling cost only about 30,000 VND/dozen.
In addition to traditional fillings such as mung beans and meat, many stores also introduce variations such as durian, squash, pandan leaves, purple leaves, gac leaves, etc.
The fragrant leaf carts are bustling along the roadside with prices starting from only 10,000 VND.
Along with banh ú, com ruou is also an indispensable dish on the Doan Ngo Festival offering tray. Com ruou nep cai costs 65,000 VND/500g box; sticky rice 75,000 VND/box... Sticky rice and sweet rice balls also maintain the price of 20,000 - 30,000 VND/portion, not much different from last year.
In particular, aromatic leaves are sought after by many people during this time. Traditionally, hanging a bundle of aromatic leaves in front of the door or boiling water for bathing on the 5th day is believed to help ward off evil spirits and purify the body.
Bundles of leaves made from lemongrass, cactus, eucalyptus, pentaphyllum, grapefruit... are sold for 10,000 - 25,000 VND/bundle.
"Every year I buy a bunch to bring home, as my grandparents told me to ward off insects and evil spirits," said Ms. Anh Thu (living in Go Vap district).
Purchasing power is still slow
In contrast to the vibrant colors of fruit stalls and the distinctive aroma of steamed leaves and sticky rice cakes, the mood of many vendors remains heavy due to slow purchasing power and slower-than-expected sales.
According to many retailers, purchasing power has not improved, and sales are slower than in previous years.
Leaning against a fruit stall with no customers on the afternoon of May 30, Ms. My Chau, a vendor at Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district), shook her head in disappointment: " The economy is so sad now, people go to the market and just pick up and put down, calculating back and forth. It's already the afternoon of the 4th lunar day and there are still few customers, not as many as in previous years." According to Ms. Chau, this year's consumption is only about 30% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
A similar situation was also recorded at banh u stalls. Ms. Ho Le Khanh Ngoc, also at Ba Chieu market, said that the amount of banh u brought in this year was only half of what it was before: "Every year I import about 2,000 pieces, this year I only dare to take half, selling while monitoring the customer rhythm."
Pointing to the basket of fresh lychees next to her, Ms. Ngoc smacked her lips: "This year, lychees have increased in price sharply, from 35,000 - 40,000 VND/kg on normal days to 70,000 VND. Brightly colored fruits such as rambutan, mango, grapefruit... are still popular, but customers tend to buy less even though the price has not fluctuated much," Ms. Ngoc said.
Meanwhile, Ms. NML, a vendor selling aromatic leaves on Dien Hong Street (Binh Thanh District), said that the amount of goods prepared for this year's Doan Ngo Festival has been sharply reduced compared to previous years.
"Last year I prepared more than a hundred bundles of various leaves to sell for this occasion, but this year I don't dare make too much for fear of unsold products," she said.
Offering trays on the "online market" are diverse in design and have fierce competition.
On online platforms, social networks, and e-commerce platforms, combo offerings for the Duanwu Festival are being sold at prices ranging from several hundred thousand to millions of dong, depending on the level of sophistication and decoration.
A basic offering tray usually includes traditional offerings such as sticky rice wine, ash cakes, summer fruits, lotus flowers, betel and areca nuts... In addition, many businesses also add regional specialties or modern tastes such as green rice cakes, xu xue cakes, vo sticky rice, and floating rice balls to increase diversity.
Many stores also invest heavily in presentation. Bamboo trays, embroidered tablecloths, ceramic vases, do paper... are cleverly used to create an overall look that is both elegant and traditional.
Some units even design custom offerings such as vegetarian offerings for vegan families, or simple, lightweight offerings suitable for families with small children,...
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tet-doan-ngo-la-thom-banh-u-mua-ban-ron-rang-20250531102807393.htm
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