As Tet (the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) draws near, whilst flower growers across Da Nang are gearing up their production in a bid to offer the best to their customers, local establishments making pots used for flowers and ornamental trees, in a similar bustling vein, are also busy meeting the growing demand. The craft of making these indispensable items have seen a bustling ambiance over recent days in the buildup to this special occasion.

An employee from a pot making facility is seen busy decorating his product

Indulged in the flower pot-molding craft for three years, Mr Nguyen Thanh Lam, the owner of Nguyen Thanh Lam establishment in Hoa Xuan Ward, Cam Le District possess full tools and modern equipment used to make eye-catching, good quality pots in which flowers and other plants are cultivated and displayed at their best.

Lam started growing Tet flowers in 2012. Many years later, however, he realised that the demand of potted plants and flowers was growing at a rapid pace. This fact prompted him to make sufficient purchases of machinery for the production of pots, in tandem with maintaining flower growing so as to ensure his family’s stable income.

In the past, bonsai pots made of cement are much bought by most gardeners, but now, ones which are cast with cement, reinforced inside with steels to withstand so strong force has become useful and suitable in decoration, perceptions and perspective in the art of bonsai.

Bonsai is a miniature tree planted in a tray or dish, evoking the majesty and beauty of a venerable old tree in nature with all its attributes such as tapering trunk, all round branch spread and a ground – gripping root flare.

Each month, Lam-owned establishment produces about 1,000 pots of all sizes depending on customers’ various requirements. On average, the price of each pot is set at 40,000 - 90,000 VND for supplies to gardeners nationwide.

In addition, ornamental pots featuring large sizes and intricate decorations on request cost from a few hundreds of thousands of VND to more than one million VND apiece.

There are usually holes in the bottom of pots, to allow excess water to flow out, sometimes to a saucer that is placed under the flowerpot. The plant can use this water with its roots, as needed.

The time-hoonoured craft chucks out about 15 - 20 million VND worth of revenue for Lam himself, whilst his workers are paid 10 -15 million VND each.

Despite their production is kept all year round, and there is a predetermined demand at year-end period. In particular, on days leading to Tet, the number of orders for pots has increased by a half, prompting Lam to employee two more workers in order to increase production shifts continuously.

Not far from Lam's establishment, Nguyen Quang Xi, the owner of a flower and bonsai production establishment in Hoa Xuan Ward, said, two months ago, he started displays his pots for sale.

In preparation for the forthcoming Tet, his facility produced 8,000 pots used for ornamental plants from February - September 2020.

His facility mainly produces pots for wholesale to gardeners at the price of 30,000 - 90,000 VND apiece, hereby helping him and his employees earn 12 - 15 million VND/ month / person.

The majority of Xi’s customers hail from Da Nang and such neighbouring provinces as Quang Nam, Quang Binh and Quang Tri.

In a similar vein, despite its operation for only eight months, Truong Minh Phung's pot production facility in Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District, is also operating at full capacity to serve the market demand at the upcoming Tet Festival. Phung's establishment maintains an average monthly capacity of 400 pots.

In the past two months alone, his unit has see the number of orders rise up to 1,000 pots, which has prompted Phung to hire additional workers. The price of pots offered at Phung’s establishment ranges from 70,000 to 800,000 VND apiece.

“In the past, pots were quite simple in shape, and mainly round, but in recent years, customers' needs have become more diverse. Right after having embarked upon operation, my facility has focused on creating all kinds of pots showcasing fancy shapes”, said Phung.

Some pots are intricately designed and decorated with more eye-catching, highly inviting patterns to attract customers’ attention like the images apricot blossoms and gold bars of fortune.

Meanwhile, others are beautifully engraved with calligraphic texts, especially commonly used words include ‘Chuc mung nam moi’ (Happy New Year) and ‘Phuc - Loc - Tho’ (Prosperity - Status - Longevity), the three attributes of a good life in Vietnamese belief.

By MAI QUE- Translated by A.T