A make-shift market along Highway 4D, from O Quy Ho Mountain Pass to Mong Sen Bridge, can be seen bustling with activities in Sapa, Lao Cai Province.
Peach flower branches sold along Highway 4D
Even though the temperature in Sapa dropped to 10 Celsius on January 12 and the area was covered in fog, both sellers and buyers were still eager to walk along Highway 4D to search for the best peach flower branches to decorate their houses during the Lunar New Year.
More peach flower trees and branches were put on display this year because of their profitability. Many locals travelled to remote areas in Sapa or Tam Duong, Sin Ho and Phong Tho districts in Lai Chau Province to search for the unique or oldest trees to sell at the market.
The buyers are traders from the delta or visitors from Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh Yen cities.
The prices are also higher than last year. Peach flower branches that have many buds and flowers cost from VND2m (USD88) to VND3m each. Huge branches cost around VND10m.
The market has become a destination in the north-west mountainous are and opens until the 30th of lunar December.
Pham Ngoc Trien