(VOVworld) - Buying a peach blossom branch and a kumquat tree to decorate for Tet is a long-time tradition of the Vietnamese people, especially in the North. A week or two before Tet, seasonal flower markets open in multiple locations around Hanoi, of which the flower market in Hang Luoc Street in the Old Quarter seems to be the most exciting and crowded.

The annual Tet Flower Market in Hanoi’s Old Quarter opens just after Kitchen God Day on the 23rd of Lunar December. Shops are closed and the streets are cleared for the market.

The most beautiful and fresh peach blossom branches and trees from the numerous flower villages around Hanoi - Ngoc Ha, Tu Lien, Nghi Tam, Nhat Tan, and Quang Ba - are on sales.

Vietnamese people believe that beautiful peach blossoms bring warmth, joy, and prosperity in the new year.

Sometimes, sellers go looking for buyers.

The Kumquat is another iconic Tet tree in Vietnam.

To choose a good kumquat tree is not simple. It should have a nice shape, plentiful young leaves, several flower buds, and many big, yellowish fruits.

Trees from Southern Vietnam also appear at the market such as white apricot bonsai…

… or the more traditional yellow one.

In recent years, Vietnamese people have also bought orchids to display at home during Tet as its exotic beauty can last for quite some time.

Buyers wander around the market until they find the most beautiful branch for their house.

Some need to find a suitable vase for their branch.

A motorbike carries home the “fruits” of hours of shopping.

The annual flower market in Hang Luoc Street has been held for dozens of years and has become one of the Tet traditions of Hanoi.

The Hang Luoc Flower Market will run until this Saturday.