Authorities see red over Tet envelopes mimicking Vietnamese currency
Lucky money envelopes looking like Vietnamese currency are trending in Ho Chi Minh City this year, but the central bank's not amused.
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| A lucky money envelop bears the appearance of a VND500,0000 note, which is Vietnam's biggest denomination. |
The State Bank in HCMC has asked police forces and relevant agencies to tighten control and take tougher action against people selling such envelopes, saying that it is an illegal activity.
The use of Vietnamese currency images for any purpose, and the production and sale of lucky money envelopes with the banknotes images without permission from the State Bank violate the nation's laws and can be punished with fines of up to VND80 million ($3,451).
With only more than a week until Tet, Lunar New Year, Vietnam’s longest and most important holiday, the business for lucky money envelopes is vigorous.
The offending envelopes bear the same appearance as Vietnamese bills with denominations of VND50,000, VND100,000, VND200,000 and VND500,000. ($1 = 23,256).
Tet falls on February 5 this year, and it is an indispendable tradition of the festival to give lucky money, li xi in Vietnamese, to children and elders in red.