Local flavor

Hanoi's oldest Tet market bustling all day and night

As the Lunar New Year draws near, Tran Quy Cap wet market in Hanoi remains bustling with people flocking to purchase Dong leaves, a key item used to make Chung cakes (square sticky rice cakes), a traditional New Year cake eaten in Vietnam.

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24 January, 2023

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hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 2 — People in the capital head to the market to buy big, beautiful, and green dong leaves to pack their Chung cakes to enjoy a traditional New Year.

hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 3 — Having 10 years of experience selling dong leaves at Tran Quy Cap market, local trader Le Thu Van says during the Tet holiday this year, every day she imports more than 100,000 dong leaves to sell to customers.

hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 4 — Dong leaves at the market are imported from various places, including from the provinces of Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Thanh Oai in Hanoi, and Phu Ly in Ha Nam.

hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 5 — According to small traders, this year a pack of 100 leaves are priced at between VND100,000 and VND150,000

hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 6 — To choose the right dong leaves, many customers spend between 20 and 30 minutes selecting the ones they want.

hanoi s oldest tet market bustling all day and night picture 7 — Dong leaves are an indispensable ingredient in wrapping Chung cakes during the traditional Tet holiday in Vietnam.