Tet market begins to bustle

Having nearly ten years of experience in trading bamboo poles for making Tet poles, since the 11th lunar month, Mr. Tran Cuong (Nghia Khanh, Nghia Dan) has gone to the mountainous districts of Tuong Duong, Con Cuong and even Thanh Hoa, to Lao Cai to choose and buy bamboo poles suitable for making Tet poles to sell wholesale to traders.

Mr. Cuong said: “This year, I wholesaled about 40,000 poles to the pole dealers in Vinh and other districts in the province. If in the past, people only used bamboo to set up poles, in recent years, when the whole alley, the whole hamlet, the whole village set up poles, people prefer bamboo, rattan, and reed because of their uniformity, straight trunks, and curved tops. Therefore, we “buy goods” mainly from the North to import for the agents.”

On the days before the Lunar New Year, on the main roads in Vinh city as well as districts and towns, many traders bring bamboo, bamboo poles, and rattan to sell for people to choose and buy to make Tet poles.

While choosing a satisfactory pole, Mr. Le Duy Hung (Phat Son village, Dai Dong commune, Thanh Chuong) said: “In the past, to make a pole, we had to cut bamboo and rattan in the garden. Nowadays, bamboo in the countryside is also rare, finding a tree that meets the criteria for setting up a pole is even more difficult, so we almost have to buy it. From the afternoon of the 23rd lunar month, our whole neighborhood sets up poles to welcome Tet. This year, the price of poles is the same as previous years, ranging from 120,000 - 200,000 VND/tree.”

Thai Hoa is one of the localities with the earliest and most widespread pole-building movement in the province. Most households use traditional poles made of bamboo, bamboo poles, and very few households use iron or stainless steel poles.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hoang, Quang Tien ward (Thai Hoa town) said: “This year, since December 21st, households have been busy setting up the pole. Up to 70-80% of households in the ward set up the pole for Tet. The pole is mainly made of bamboo, the meter chooses the type that is about 6-10m long, the tree trunk is straight or curved in one direction, cut down in the direction of the hook, with the top intact. Many households in the neighborhood contribute money to buy everything from bamboo, meters to lanterns, flashing lights to decorate the pole, so when set up, it is quite uniform and beautiful.”

The custom of erecting a Tet pole has been restored, and pole-making products (bamboo, bamboo, leaves, flashing lights, lanterns, etc.) sell quite well. Many localities in the province have established pole markets at stadiums in communes and hamlets. The market only opens after the full moon of the twelfth lunar month until the 28th of the lunar month. The busiest time is from the 20th of the twelfth lunar month to around the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, when every household takes the opportunity to erect a pole.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duc (Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district) brought meters to Vinh to sell and said: "In the past three days, there have been quite a few people buying meters to set up poles, selling 50-60 trees each day. Usually, the 22nd and 23rd of the twelfth lunar month are the best days because according to the custom, after seeing Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao off to heaven, they will set up the Tet pole. A bamboo tree or meter brings in a profit of about 20-30,000 VND. Each Tet season, selling about 1,000 trees can earn 20-30 million VND. However, to choose the right tree to make a pole is also very elaborate, time-consuming and laborious."

In addition to selling bamboo, bamboo poles, bamboo, and rattan for people to make their own flagpoles, many places also provide services to decorate a complete flagpole with national flags, lanterns, LED lights, etc. according to the buyer's preferences. Each completed flagpole costs from 800,000 to 1.5 million VND. Therefore, not only do bamboo growers and traders benefit, but grocery stores selling electrical appliances and decorations also have the opportunity to "take advantage". The number of LED lights, LED strings, lanterns, etc. that come with the flagpole are also consumed more strongly.

Recently, due to carelessness in the process of erecting the pole, there have been a number of electrical short circuits leading to unfortunate accidents in the province. Therefore, every citizen needs to be extremely careful and ensure safety when erecting the pole to enjoy the Spring Festival and welcome the New Year in peace.