Tet, as it is known in Vietnam, is the most important festival of the year and the occasion for people to give gifts to loved ones and business partners.

With the year of the tiger starting on February 1, many are choosing pricy models of the striped felines.

Thousands of 24-carat gold plated tigers are hitting high-end souvenir shops in Hanoi, selling for between $300 and $3,000, ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Thousands of 24-carat gold plated tigers are hitting high-end souvenir shops in Hanoi, selling for between $300 and $3,000.

"The gold-plated tiger model will bring me the feeling of being in a higher class," said architect Pham Quang Duc who bought himself a winged tiger model for home decoration.

The year of the tiger is supposed to bring power and prosperity, and artisans said they tried to reflect this in their work.

"The tiger in my design not only shows the animal's ferocity, but also the power, the aim of striving forward and conquering," artisan Vu Dung told AFP of his tiger with eagle wings.

"Possessing a gold plated tiger model would mean its owner is in the high class in society and is successful economically," he added.

It takes days of detailed work for artisans to make the sparkling gold-plated figurines.

The process requires painting, gilding, and polishing the model, which often starts with clay, then ending with a copper sculpture before being plated with the precious metal.

"We have to make sure the gold plating layer must be spread evenly on the model, including every crevice," worker Lai Huy Nam told AFP at his workshop in Hanoi.

Vietnam has suffered economically from the Covid-19 pandemic, with growth hitting a 30-year low last year and more than 1.4 million jobs lost.

"The tiger with wings model shows my hope for my works to take off and have some breakthrough in the new year," Duc said.

Bac Giang provincial leader visits and extends Tet greeting to local FDI enterprises

(BGO) – On January 19, the Vice Chairman of Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) Phan The Tuan paid a field trip to visit, encourage and extend Tet greeting to some foreign direct investment (FDI) businesses in the province.

Bac Giang cares for social policy beneficiaries and poor people on Tet occasion

(BGO) – On January 18,  the Standing Vice Secretary of Bac Giang provincial Party Committee (PPC), Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council Le Thi Thu Hong presented Tet gifts to Luc Nam district.

Nhat Tan flower village attracting crowds as Tet draws near

With the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, fast approaching, the Nhat Tan peach blossom village in Hanoi has become increasingly busy as many people come to snap beautiful photos or buy beautiful flowers for Tet.

Provincial leader visits and extends Tet greeting to some FDI enterprises

(BGO) – On January 17, Vice Chairman of Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) Phan The Tuan and representatives of Department of Foreign Affairs, PPC Office and Industrial Park Management Board visited and extended Tet greeting to Crystal Martin Vietnam Company Limited; Jufeng New Materials Vietnam Co.,Ltd in Quang Chau industrial park, Viet Yen district and SeoJin Vietnam Co.,Ltd in Song Khe – Noi Hoang industrial park in Yen Dung district.

Hope Foundation delivers Tet gifts to Covid orphans

VnExpress’s Hope Foundation has handed around 1,500 gift packages to children whose parents succumbed to Covid-19 in southern epicenters ahead of the country's biggest holiday Tet.

Source: VnExpress