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| Traders quickly unloading and transferring flowers onto motorbikes, rushing to deliver them to markets across the city |
At 4 a.m., trucks carrying flowers from Da Lat arrive one after another, bringing yellow chrysanthemums, gladiolus, white lilies… to serve the Tet market in Hue. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, who supervises the quantity of flowers arriving in the city, said that on ordinary days, only 1-3 trucks travel from Da Lat to Hue. However, as Tet approaches, the number triples or even quadruples, with some days seeing as many as 10 to 12 shipments. With a greater supply of Tet flowers, the workload also becomes increasingly intense.
On regular days, he wakes up at around 4 a.m. when the flower trucks arrive to check the shipments. As Tet draws near, some days he has to get up as early as 1 or 2 a.m. “Even in cold rain and strong winds, we still have to work to ensure there are enough flowers for traders to take to market”, Mr. Phuong said while swiftly jotting down notes and inspecting each batch of goods.
In a corner of the market, Ms. Le Thi Hoa, a trader with over 25 years devoted to the flower trade, busily sorts newly arrived bouquets. Her work begins at daybreak and only ends when all the flowers are sold. “Tet customers always prefer the freshest blooms. Therefore, we cannot be laggard, as delaying even a little will lead to flowers to wilt, lose their beauty and value”, she said.
For that reason, the flower market becomes a race against time. From Da Lat, flowers arrive in Hue while it is still dark, then are swiftly distributed by various means of transport to markets at all scales across the city. Transporters scarcely have a moment’s rest. A delay of just a few hours could mean missing the early market session, making it difficult to preserve the flowers’ initial freshness.
At Dong Ba Market, the atmosphere of spring flowers is growing increasingly vibrant. Ms. Nguyen Thi Khoa Xuan, who has been selling flowers for nearly 30 years, said the trade is far from as easy as many might think. Flower prices have edged up slightly this year, partly due to higher transportation costs and partly because of unpredictable weather conditions.
According to traders, gladiolus remains the best-selling flower, priced between VND 25,000 and 40,000 per bunch depending on stem length and quantity. Cut chrysanthemums range from VND 30,000 to 60,000 per bunch, while lilies - favored by many families - command higher prices of around VND 25,000 to 35,000 per stem. Some Tet flowers, such as tulips and snow apricot branches can cost several hundred thousand dong per bunch, depending on quantity and quality. Although prices have inched up due to rising transportation costs and unpredictable weather, the market remains lively, as many households still wish to welcome spring with a vase of fresh flowers at home.
Ms. Dang Hai Tuong shared: “Lilies and snow apricot branches are my family’s familiar choices. With a vase of flowers placed in a corner of the house, Tet atmosphere feels as if it is instantly knocking on my door. Without flowers, the house feels strangely empty”.
As the sun rises, the flower market grows even more animated. The final shipments continue to carry bursts of spring color into every street and small market across Hue. From the earliest market sessions, spring has fully arrived, signaling that a new year is just around the corner.