A huge and exotic array of Tet flowers are lining Nghi Tam street inthe capital city of Hanoi and attracting quite a crowd.
Theroad is the main supply route for flowers in Hanoi and people areflocking there to pick out the most colourful and beautiful for theirhome ahead of the New Year.
Currently prices remain normal, butin the next couple of days they will start to rise fast, says flowergrower Nguyen Thi Tam, who has worked at the market for many years.
"The price will be higher during days close to Tet," she warns. "Oneweek is still left before the holiday and the market is receiving manyvisitors everyday as they come to check different prices and buy pre-Tetflowers."
Flower festivals and markets throughout the capitalare in currently in full blossom and doing their utmost to cater to therising demand.
On January 31, a flower show and trade fairhonouring craft villages and high-quality agricultural produce waskicked off at the Centre for Art and Cultural Exhibitions at 2 Hoa LuStreet . It will run until February 5.
One of the highlightsof the event is an exhibition of various kinds of flowers includingorchids, daisies, peach blossoms and kumquats from the city's well-knownflowers villages. The flowers are on sale at the festival for areasonable and negotiable price.
As well as the flowers, nearly100 calligraphic works are also on display at the event and there are200 stalls selling traditional products and quality farm produce fromHanoi 's different villages and regions. These include lotus-scentedtea from West Lake , milk products of Ba Vi, orange from Hoai Ducand organic vegetables.
"The festival aims to honour thetraditional villages in Hanoi and the Song Hong ( Red River ) Delta,as well as welcoming the 2013 Red River Delta National Tourism Year,"says Vuong Duy Bien, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism andhead of the organising board.
"It not only highlights the bestproducts from craft villages but also serves people's shopping needs forTet, the year's biggest traditional celebration," he adds.
According to Trinh The Khiet, president of Hanoi Farmers' Association,this is also an opportunity for artisans from traditional villages toexchange and introduce initiatives in the field of rural industries,contributing to the promotion of trade in traditional villages and theconsumption of agricultural products provided by Hanoi farmers.
In HCM City, the Nguyen Hue Boulevard Floral Exhibition willcelebrate its 10th anniversary and welcome local and internationalvisitors on February 7.
While the flower street is takingshape, other areas in the city, including Binh Quoi and Van Thanhtourist parks and Sai Gon New Port in District 7, have set upflower markets already.
Organisers say that all flower decorations on Nguyen Hue will be completed by February 5.
During the past decade, the flower street has had different designs, decoration and themes.
This year, the theme is "The Heart of Vietnam". There will be severalsections, titled Spring in the Highlands, Spring in the Plains andSpring on the Islands.
As in previous years, the zodiacsymbol of the Lunar New Year, which this time around is the snake, willbe placed at the entry of the road.
For the Spring on the Islands section, a seven-metre boat full of flowers will represent an abundant fishing season.
The Spring in the Highlands section will showcase the culturaldiversity of the Highlands region through its musical instruments,such as the Paranung drum, and different kinds of gongs made of flowers.
The section Spring in the Plains will include a big waterfalldecorated with flowers and huge rocks brought from the central highlandscity of Da Lat.-VNA
Theroad is the main supply route for flowers in Hanoi and people areflocking there to pick out the most colourful and beautiful for theirhome ahead of the New Year.
Currently prices remain normal, butin the next couple of days they will start to rise fast, says flowergrower Nguyen Thi Tam, who has worked at the market for many years.
"The price will be higher during days close to Tet," she warns. "Oneweek is still left before the holiday and the market is receiving manyvisitors everyday as they come to check different prices and buy pre-Tetflowers."
Flower festivals and markets throughout the capitalare in currently in full blossom and doing their utmost to cater to therising demand.
On January 31, a flower show and trade fairhonouring craft villages and high-quality agricultural produce waskicked off at the Centre for Art and Cultural Exhibitions at 2 Hoa LuStreet . It will run until February 5.
One of the highlightsof the event is an exhibition of various kinds of flowers includingorchids, daisies, peach blossoms and kumquats from the city's well-knownflowers villages. The flowers are on sale at the festival for areasonable and negotiable price.
As well as the flowers, nearly100 calligraphic works are also on display at the event and there are200 stalls selling traditional products and quality farm produce fromHanoi 's different villages and regions. These include lotus-scentedtea from West Lake , milk products of Ba Vi, orange from Hoai Ducand organic vegetables.
"The festival aims to honour thetraditional villages in Hanoi and the Song Hong ( Red River ) Delta,as well as welcoming the 2013 Red River Delta National Tourism Year,"says Vuong Duy Bien, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism andhead of the organising board.
"It not only highlights the bestproducts from craft villages but also serves people's shopping needs forTet, the year's biggest traditional celebration," he adds.
According to Trinh The Khiet, president of Hanoi Farmers' Association,this is also an opportunity for artisans from traditional villages toexchange and introduce initiatives in the field of rural industries,contributing to the promotion of trade in traditional villages and theconsumption of agricultural products provided by Hanoi farmers.
In HCM City, the Nguyen Hue Boulevard Floral Exhibition willcelebrate its 10th anniversary and welcome local and internationalvisitors on February 7.
While the flower street is takingshape, other areas in the city, including Binh Quoi and Van Thanhtourist parks and Sai Gon New Port in District 7, have set upflower markets already.
Organisers say that all flower decorations on Nguyen Hue will be completed by February 5.
During the past decade, the flower street has had different designs, decoration and themes.
This year, the theme is "The Heart of Vietnam". There will be severalsections, titled Spring in the Highlands, Spring in the Plains andSpring on the Islands.
As in previous years, the zodiacsymbol of the Lunar New Year, which this time around is the snake, willbe placed at the entry of the road.
For the Spring on the Islands section, a seven-metre boat full of flowers will represent an abundant fishing season.
The Spring in the Highlands section will showcase the culturaldiversity of the Highlands region through its musical instruments,such as the Paranung drum, and different kinds of gongs made of flowers.
The section Spring in the Plains will include a big waterfalldecorated with flowers and huge rocks brought from the central highlandscity of Da Lat.-VNA
