Hundreds of flower traders from western regions have flocked to the Binh Dong Pier, their boats loaded to the hilt with a vast colourful and varied assortment of spring flowers and ornamental plants for Tet.

The Binh Dong Pier is situated at Tan Hoa Canal, District 8 in Ho Chi Minh City. Part of the river is crowded with many boats carrying a vast array of flowers and ornamental plants. The images are repeated year in, year out whenever the new Lunar New Year arrives. Some boats from the Cai Mon District in Ben Tre Province carry hundreds of apricot and ornamental plant pots. Small boats mainly carry daisy and paper flowers. A big boat of Nam Hong Garden in Ben Tre transports 300 pots of ornamental trees. Boats must line up because the Pier is small. Boat owners are required to pay for places to sell flowers and ornamental plants. Mr Thuan from the Cai Mon District transports flowers to sell to customers. He says each pot of apricot runs around US$21.70-US$30.40. A big potted apricot tree sells for US$43-US$90. Many customers from Ho Chi Minh City come to Binh Dong Pier to buy flowers and ornamental plants to decorate their home for TET. Florist Ngoc Van is very happy to sell his first pots of flowers. Traders truck flowers to Binh Duong and Bien Hoa.

VOV