Ducks and fruits sell out quickly during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Duck meat sold out quickly during this year's Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: Quang An

On the Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month), from early morning, the markets in Vinh City become bustling.

According to folk tradition, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people often offer duck meat as a sacrifice, making it the most heavily consumed item. Most markets in Vinh have trucks carrying ducks from suburban communes to meet the demand of the people.

According to our reporter's observations, at Vinh market on the morning of June 7th, there were 6 trucks carrying ducks, along with many stalls selling pre-processed ducks. Ms. Le Thi Binh, a duck seller, said: "This year I brought 120 ducks to Vinh market, and now I only have a dozen left. Because I sell them at a uniform price of 90,000 VND per duck, there are quite a lot of buyers."

Prepared duck meat is also in high demand. Photo: Quang An

Compared to previous years, ducks are selling much better this year, with some families even buying 3-4 ducks at a time. In just a few hours, more than half of the ducks at the selling points were gone, and some places completely sold out.

Not only raw duck meat but also pre-processed duck is in high demand. Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung from Vinh Tan ward (Vinh City) shared: "Duck meat is a traditional dish during the Dragon Boat Festival, so I buy duck every year. However, this year, because I didn't have time to butcher it myself, I bought pre-processed duck, priced from 110,000 to 130,000 VND per duck, which I find quite reasonable."

Not only duck meat but also fruits are in high demand, with prices significantly higher than usual. Popular seasonal fruits like rambutan, lychee, plums, and watermelon are selling well.

Rambutan is in high demand during the Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: Quang An

Ms. Phan Thi Hong, a fruit vendor, said: "Among all the fruits, rambutan and plums are the most popular. Currently, rambutan costs 50,000 VND/kg, and plums range from 40,000 to 70,000 VND/kg depending on the variety. Other fruits have increased by 5,000 to 10,000 VND/kg compared to normal days."

Despite the price increase, according to our reporter's observations, people's purchasing power has not decreased. Not only duck meat and fruits, but other items such as rice noodles, betel nuts, chrysanthemums, etc., are also in high demand.

By late afternoon, many stalls selling fruits and ducks for the Dragon Boat Festival offerings in some markets in Vinh City had sold out.

Noodle and pastry shops are also doing better business than usual. Photo: Quang An

In the Vietnamese subconscious, the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the festival for exterminating insects and parasites. Folklore holds that insects and parasites are commonly found in the digestive system, and if not eliminated, they will multiply and negatively impact health.

Folklore suggests that certain foods can kill insects. People in Northern Vietnam often kill insects as soon as they wake up in the early morning, using food, especially glutinous rice wine, rice cakes, and fruits...

People in Central and Southern Vietnam have dishes like bánh ú lá tre (bamboo leaf rice dumplings) or bánh tro (ash rice dumplings), which are also made with glutinous rice, mung beans, and a few other ingredients.