The leaf market on Tran Quy Cap street (Hanoi) displays and sells bunches of green leaves and wrapped in Banh Chung, this year influenced by the Covid-19 epidemic, so the market has no buyers.
Dong leaf market located on Tran Quy Cap street (behind Hanoi station) has been around for decades. This is a familiar address that provides leaves for many areas in the capital and neighboring regions.
Near Tet, this area of the leaf market starts to be more bustling than usual. The whole road is nearly 100m long covered with a green of green leaves, everyone hustles, choose to buy the leaves urgently to prevent epidemic and in time to pack Tet banh chung.
On normal days, this market only has 5-7 small traders maintaining wholesale dong and banana leaves for establishments that pack banh chung and sausage. From December 20 onwards, some people from other places also brought the leaves to sell here, making the market more crowded and bustling.
However, according to many small traders, this year due to the influence of the Covid-19 epidemic, the trading atmosphere is bleaker compared to every year.
Hanoi dong leaf market on Tran Quy Cap street, right next to Hanoi station gate, has existed for a long time, this place is the address that provides leaf leaves for many urban areas and neighboring areas of Hanoi.
On the close of Tet, from December 23 onwards, this market began to be crowded with buyers and sellers. In previous years, the number of leaves from here can reach thousands of bunches. However, this year, the market is quite breeze, the number of visitors to buy plummeted.
According to small traders, this year, the price of seaweed leaves is higher than that of last year, but the buyers decrease due to the impact of disease.
Talking to the reporter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mui – small business of the dong leaf market on Tran Quy Cap street, said that the price of leaves fluctuates by day. The closer Tet, the price is a little better. The reason for this is that the source of imported goods increases according to leaf quality.
“There are many different reasons, so this year, customers are sparse. Consumption is only equal to 2/3 of last year,” said Ms Mui.
The leaves are arranged by traders and arranged 40 leaves. Selling leaves is only the most expensive at the beginning of Tet, from 23 – 29 Tet.
Dong dong leaves are sold at the market for 40,000 – 70,000 VND / bundle, depending on the type of big or small leaves.
Mrs. Tran Thu Ha (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi) went to the market to buy leaves, sharing: “This year, the epidemic has been complicated, so I just took the opportunity to run to the market to buy a few bunch of leaves quickly to pack the cake tomorrow. The epidemic could not bring banh chung, so this Tet holiday only packs enough cafeteria.
This year, the customers who buy the leaves at the market are mostly retail customers, buying in small quantities, about several hundred ships to pack cakes in the family.
Sparse customers, a small business waits for customers to come and buy leaves. Although customers tend to decrease, the dong leaf market on Tran Quy Cap street still exists. This market contributes to creating the atmosphere of the Tet when the Spring comes home.
In addition to the leaves, the small trader also sells flat cakes.
In modern society, there are many traditions that have been lost, but the tradition of wrapping and offering banh chung on the Lunar New Year is still preserved until today.
The banh chung not only reminds each person of a dish bearing the national culture, but also makes each Vietnamese people more proud and cherished more than a sacred product on Tet holiday.
Toan Vu – Ha Hien/Dan trí
