As the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is one month away, the iconic Ben Thanh Market in downtown Ho Chi Minh City is bustling, welcoming the sheer number of market-goers and visitors.

Small and big stalls attractively display typical goods and items for Tet like colorful clothes, fabric, confectionery, ornaments, and traditional sugar-preserved fruits.

Many merchants have rushed to stock up on trending products such as soft dried mango and dried jujube with milk.

A merchant at the market, Le Huong, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the number of customers, especially foreigners, visiting the market has surged significantly since the beginning of December.

“These international visitors mainly come from South Korea, Taiwan, and India,” Huong said.

Even though daily sales have soared over 50 percent compared to normal days, this year’s profits are well below the figures recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.

Ben Thanh Market has been a popular Tet-themed photo spot over the past few years. Recently, in addition to market-goers, residents and tourists have been flocking there for photo shoots.

Young people and children in ao dai (Vietnam's traditional costume) are spreading out across the market for photo shoots, creating festive vibes ahead of the holiday.

Dang Tran Thanh, a xich lo (pedicab) driver with over 30 years of experience in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, has found a creative way to supplement his income by renting out his pedicab for photo shoots.

He charges around VND50,000 (US$2) for every 30 minutes.

Thanh earns between VND200,000 ($7.8) and VND300,000 ($11.8) daily, with peak hours for photo shoots typically falling between 6:00 am and 9:00 am, and after 4:00 pm.

He anticipates a surge in visitors to the market for photo shoots following the 2025 New Year holiday, due late next month.

In November, Ben Thanh Market was designated a city-level heritage site, instilling greater pride among merchants and raising hopes for economic and tourism growth.

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