Why do Chinese people choose Vietnamese durian as Tet gifts?

In China, Vietnamese durian has become a popular Lunar New Year gift due to its competitive price and exceptional aroma and taste.

For the Chinese people, durian is not only a fruit, but also a symbol of luxury. If in the past, durian was a precious fruit that only royalty could enjoy, today, durian has become a precious gift, given to family, friends and relatives every time Tet comes, Spring comes.

Vietnamese durian is on display at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China. Photo: China Daily

Ma Qian, who lives in Henan province, told the China Morning Post: "My mother-in-law, a rural elder who is used to living frugally, now often suggests that we buy a durian as a gift for her. Elderly people believe that durian is very nutritious, and eating one durian can be as nutritious as eating three chickens."

As the Lunar New Year approaches, durians are widely available in the Chinese market. Among them, durians from Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia are becoming the top choices of many sellers because of their affordable prices.

In Taiyuan , a city in northern China, dozens of fresh durians are displayed at a major supermarket chain for 19.99 yuan (nearly 70,000 VND) a pound every day. Advertising slogans such as “Durian selected from ancient trees, small core, rich in flesh” and “ Durian sweet as honey, chewy and soft” are hung on the shelves, attracting Chinese consumers.

"Over the past two months, our store has mainly imported fresh durian from Vietnam due to cost savings. Currently, this type of durian is selling even better than frozen durian," Liu Chengdong, a supermarket employee in Taiyuan, told Xinhua News Agency.

Sharing her thoughts on Vietnamese durian, Miss Yun, a popular figure on China's Xiaohongshu social media platform, stated : "Vietnamese durian tastes delicious when ripe. However, the rind of Vietnamese durian is a little thick."

Mr. Guo Feng, Secretary-General of the Shanxi Provincial Chamber of Commerce (China) in Vietnam, said that thanks to large-scale imports, Vietnamese durian has a competitive advantage over Thai durian. According to Mr. Feng, Vietnamese durian also has a significant price advantage due to low production and transportation costs.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Bob Wang, a durian distributor, said: "Thanks to the close geographical proximity, durian imported from Vietnam reaches every corner of China within just 3 days, helping Vietnamese durian maintain its position in China in the coming years."

"Durian has quickly become the most popular imported fruit in China, but we have underestimated the demand of the Chinese people for this fruit. Given the current situation, it is highly likely that the demand for durian will double in the next few years," Wang stated.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/vi-sao-nguoi-trung-quoc-chon-sau-rieng-viet-lam-qua-tet-370804.html