Phan Thanh Dat visited three flower markets in Ben Binh Dong, Gia Dinh park, and March 29 to take pictures of the Tet atmosphere.

Phan Thanh Dat, 24 years old, is an office worker in Ho Chi Minh City. He is from Tien Giang, has a side job as a photographer, and loves to go everywhere to record the beauty of the country’s landscapes and culture, especially the city in which he lives.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Dat spent two days on December 23 and 24 (January 14-5), when the flower markets in the city began to open for sale, to take pictures. The three flower markets he went to were Binh Dong Wharf (pictured), Gia Dinh Park and March 29. He chose these three locations because “these are the big Tet flower markets, typical of the city every spring.”

The first flower market Dat visited was Binh Dong Wharf, located in District 8, on January 14. Small traders display flowers for sale along the embankment of Tau Hu canal, under the wharf are boats carrying ornamental flowers for sale, coming from the western provinces.

Dat likes the flower market model on the wharf under the boat in Binh Dong Wharf the most. Visitors here can both buy flowers, take photos and interact with traders, “creating a very special and interesting cultural exchange atmosphere”, Dat said.

Dat said this flower market has existed for nearly 45 years. This year the flower market has a larger scale than every year, with about 100 boats of Western traders, mainly from Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Vinh Long, and Dong Thap. The boats docked in Ho Chi Minh City about a week before Tet.

On January 15, Dat visited the flower market in the park on March 29, located on Le Lai and Pham Ngu Lao streets, district 1, when the flower market began to open for sale. Chrysanthemum is one of the most sold flowers in the area. Pots of chrysanthemums are displayed, with prices from 380,000 VND per pair.

According to Dat’s observation, this year’s flower market is busier and busier than in 2022, because life has also returned to normal after Covid-19. Tourists are also more crowded, so the flower markets have been crowded with sellers and buyers since December 23. Many people asked the price and then left, but many people also bought the flower pots they liked to display for Tet.

The price of a North peach branch ranges from a few hundred to several million dong, depending on the type, according to Dat’s survey. Many branches have blossomed since the occasion of Mr. Cong Ong Tao.

This year the types of ornamental flowers are also more diverse, from familiar flowers such as apricots, peaches, marigolds, chrysanthemums, there are also other new flowers and ornamental plants such as orchids, white apricots, pomelo trees, corn plants. , papaya.

A corner of flower market in Gia Dinh park, Go Vap district seen from above. According to Dat’s comment, of the three flower markets he photographed, this is the one with the largest scale. In terms of price, Binh Dong Wharf is the cheapest.

Because they are Tet flowers, they often have vibrant colors such as red, pink, and yellow – colors that symbolize good luck in the new year.

At the flower market, there is a service to bring flowers and ornamental plants home. The price depends on the distance and the large or small tree, from a few tens to several hundred thousand dongs.

Photo: Phan Thanh Dat