Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) is never complete without spring flowers.

In the north, when the spring comes and hundreds of species of flowers come into bloom, it is time to buy flowers and bonsai to welcome the New Year.

Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Hanoi is at its most lively just before the Lunar New Year, with hundreds of flower and bonsai shops setting up on the pavement. The air is filled with the scent of roses, lilies, cherry blossoms, apricot blossoms, water rain and other spring flowers.

Located near Ngoc Ha flower village, this street is known to Hanoians as the place to get seasonal flowers and bonsai. Setting up next to the numerous professional shops, many local vendors deliver trees and flowers from their own gardens, boasting the most competitive prices.

Hoang Hoa Tham Street is the place to find Tet holiday flowers at reasonable prices. If you are looking for some special decoration for the living room, a kumquat tree, or cherry and apricot blossoms would be a good option. There are also many trees and creeper plants on offer, including bamboo trees and jasmine shrubs and vines.

“I am looking for a kumquat tree for the New Year,” says Le Van, a student doing his shopping on the famous street. “I need a tree with yellow flowers and healthy green leaves and buds, so we can keep the tree for at least a month during Tet.”

And just in case you’ve bought more than you can carry, you don’t need to worry about how to take your trees home. There are numerous xe om (motobike taxi) drivers waiting and willing to help you.