Hanoi, Vietnam – For years, the iconic flower vendors peddling vibrant blooms from their bicycles along the picturesque Phan Dinh Phung street in Vietnam’s capital have been a cherished sight. These sellers are now embracing a new trend by offering their bouquets for rent, capitalizing on the growing demand from tourists seeking social media-perfect moments.
Phan Dinh Phung street, situated in the vicinity of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, is renowned for its enchanting charm, lined with historic French-style buildings and quaint architecture. It has become a bustling hub for tourists seeking to capture the essence of this remarkable locale.
“I’ve always dreamt of visiting this place at least once in my lifetime,” remarked a 26-year-old visitor hailing from a distant part of the country. Grasping a bouquet adorned with vibrant red roses, golden sunflowers, and pristine white lotuses, she reveled in the opportunity to create lasting memories with her friends.
This avenue serves as a congregating point for flower vendors, a majority of whom are elderly women adorned in traditional hats. Historically, these women traversed the streets with bicycles laden with blossoms sourced from rural regions, peddling their fragrant offerings to Hanoi’s residents. The flowers were typically utilized for various purposes, including offerings at Buddhist altars in homes or as decorative displays in workplaces.
In recent years, these vendors have evolved into a favorite subject for social media photography, particularly among the younger generation. Some enthusiasts, often dressed in resplendent traditional ao dai attire, even engage professional photographers in their quest to capture the perfect shot.
This practice has also gained traction among foreign tourists visiting Vietnam, with the country welcoming a staggering 18 million visitors annually before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing the evolving preferences of their customers, the vendors have adapted their offerings. They now primarily sell bouquets instead of individual flowers and occasionally add vibrant hues to the petals. In essence, the traditional flower vendors have transformed themselves into fully-fledged tourist attractions.
A typical bouquet from these vendors typically ranges from 80,000 to 100,000 dong (equivalent to $3.25 to $4), a relatively hefty price for a solitary social media photo prop. Luxurious varieties, such as the exquisite lotus, can cost up to 150,000 dong. With little use for the bouquets beyond a quick photo session, discarding them presents an unattractive option due to concerns about waste.
This is where the ingenious rental model comes into play. Customers can now rent a bouquet for a nominal fee of 30,000 to 50,000 dong, allowing them to snap the perfect picture and subsequently return the blooms to the vendor.
The introduction of rental services has yielded substantial financial rewards for these vendors. “Thanks to rentals, sales have increased two- to threefold,” attested a 58-year-old vendor, a seasoned professional who embarked on her career selling flowers at the local market. Her income witnessed a remarkable surge after launching the bouquet rental service this year.
Remarkably, the vendors continue to attract customers with bicycles laden with flowers, maintaining their allure while enjoying increased profits. Despite Hanoi’s rapid transformation in the face of remarkable economic growth, these flower vendors evoke nostalgia for the city’s rich past while deftly catering to the desires of modern tourists, marking a remarkable evolution in their trade.
