As Tet approaches, one familiar sight returns to Southern Vietnam: the floating flower market. While not the largest Tet event, it remains a long-standing annual tradition closely tied to how the South prepares for the Lunar New Year. Each year, hundreds of boats arrive carrying flowers, ornamental plants, and fruits from Mekong Delta provinces such as Dong Thap, Ben Tre, and Vinh Long into Ho Chi Minh City.
Among these markets, the most distinctive is the Tet flower market “Trên Bến Dưới Thuyền” (On the Wharf, On the Boats), organized by Ho Chi Minh City authorities. The fair typically takes place from the 15th to the 28th day of the last lunar month, along Nguyen Van Cua – Binh Dong Road in Phu Dinh Ward.
During the festival, boats line the canal below, while flower stalls and Tet activities unfold along the wharf above. The setting recreates a trading scene once common in Southern river cities, reflecting how local communities historically transported goods and prepared for Tet through waterways.
Flowers and Tet rituals
For Vietnamese people, flowers mark the arrival of spring, signalling the clearing away of the old year and the beginning of a new cycle. Each flower carries its own cultural meaning. In Southern Vietnam, hoa mai (yellow apricot blossoms) symbolize wealth, good fortune, and resilience. In the North, hoa đào (peach blossoms) are associated with luck, happiness, and spiritual protection. Chrysanthemums represent longevity and blessings, while kumquat trees embody abundance and prosperity for the year ahead.
Flowers are also believed to bring vitality and positive energy into the home. Fresh blooms help dispel the stagnation of the past year and invite renewal into living spaces. Arranged in living rooms, courtyards, and on ancestral altars, flowers shape a sense of togetherness, turning the home into a space that feels renewed and alive.
A tradition shaped by river life
Over time, visiting flower markets has become a deeply rooted cultural practice across Vietnam. In Southern Vietnam, this tradition is closely tied to a river-based way of life. Historically, canals and rivers served as the primary transportation routes, especially for agricultural goods. Flowers grown in delta gardens were carried by boat, creating seasonal gatherings where sellers and buyers met directly on the water.
As Tet draws closer, life in the Mekong Delta’s flower villages accelerates. Trucks and boats line up, transporting the colours and fragrances of spring from the delta to cities across Vietnam, from south to north. Flower growing here is more than seasonal work; it is a form of cultural inheritance, passed down through generations.
Photographer Khanh Phan shared with Lao Động as she reflects on her journey to three of the Mekong Delta’s most famous flower villages: “What stays with me the most is the hands behind them—the patience, the care, and the belief that every bloom carries a wish for a gentler year.”
Trên bến - dưới thuyền (On the wharf - in the boat)
Once a major trading artery, Binh Dong Wharf was historically lined with some of southern Vietnam’s largest rice warehouses and granaries. Today, the return of boats docking and unloading goods transforms the waterfront into a festive river market, drawing thousands of city dwellers to shop for Tet flowers and experience the rhythms of southern river culture.
Yet behind these dazzling scenes lies a harsher reality. As early as the 20th day of the lunar month, farmers arrive with their boats full of flowers—and with the hope that their goods will sell before the tide turns, allowing them to return home in time for Tet.
Many buyers, however, wait until the final days, even the night of the 30th, believing unsold flowers will be cheaper. What follows is an annual ritual of bargaining and pressure, where prices are gradually driven down. For farmers, this waiting game can mean watching a year of work lose its value by the hour.
“People think flowers are just about beauty,” one vendor shared with Dân Trí. “But behind every pot is weather risk, fertilizer costs, transport fees, and a whole year of waiting.”
This contrast—between abundance and anxiety, celebration and sacrifice—is what gives southern Vietnam’s flower culture its emotional depth. Floating flower markets remain living spaces where hope, labour, and uncertainty drift side by side, year after year.
Where to experience Tet flower market in HCMC
Ho Chi Minh City Spring Flower Festival – Tao Dan Park
- Dates: February 10–21, 2026 (23rd day of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of Tet)
- Location: Tao Dan Park, Ben Thanh Ward
Tet flower market across the city
- Dates: February 10–16, 2026 (23rd day of the lunar month to noon on the 29th)
- Locations: September 23 Park; Gia Dinh Park; Le Van Tam Park; Binh Dien Flower Market; Area around International Square (Xuan Hoa Ward); Phu My Hung Spring Flower Festival (Tan My Ward)
Nguyen Hue Flower Street – Tet Binh Ngo 2026
- Dates: February 15–22, 2026 (28th day of the lunar month to the 6th day of Tet)
- Location: Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, Ben Nghe Ward
“On the Wharf, Under the Boats” Floating Flower Market
- Dates: February 2–15, 2026 (15th to 28th day of the lunar month)
- Location: Nguyen Van Cua – Binh Dong Street, Phu Dinh Ward
