Hanoians got up early to stand in line for Banh Troi (floating rice dumplings) and Banh Chay (lean cake) at a shop on Ngo Thi Nham street this Cold Food Day, which falls on the third day of the third lunar month.


hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 1

Lines start forming at the Muoi Sau shop on Ngo Thi Nham street at 7:00am sharp. 





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 2

A local resident says it has been crowded on this special day every year for the past two decades.





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 3

Each bowl of Banh Chay sells for one US dollar. People often buy three or four to take home and put on their ancestral altar on this special day. 





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 4




hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 5
The shop owner fishes floating rice dumplings out of the hot pot. He says his family prepared a lot of Banh Chay the previous day to serve to customers. 





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 6

A woman reads a newspaper while waiting to buy Banh Chay. It’s about a 30-35 minute wait. 





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 7





hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 8

Other shops selling Banh Chay and Banh Troi along the streets of Ngo Thi Nham and Tran Xuan Soan.






hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 9




hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 10







hanoians queue for rice dumplings on cold food day hinh 11

VOV/Zing