In the final days of the twelfth lunar month, the “Ba Lieu Me” sesame cracker workshop run by Huynh Duc Sol in Cam Le Ward becomes especially busy. Thirty-five workers are occupied with making and packaging cakes for Tet sales. On ordinary days, the workshop produces around 3,000 packaged items, but during the Tet season output rises to about 5,000 units a day as demand increases.

Huynh Duc Sol said the traditional cake-making trade has helped improve his family’s living conditions. Output this year has increased by nearly 20 percent compared with last year, and since the product was certified as a four-star OCOP item (One Commune One Product programme), Ba Lieu Me sesame crackers have become more widely known to consumers. With Tet demand running high, the workshop has extended working hours.

He expressed hope that the city government would continue to support the preservation of traditional crafts through policy assistance.

Alongside higher output, many producers are paying greater attention to improving designs and packaging to better suit market demand. For more than a month, the rice paper workshop of Nguyen Dang Thai Hoa in Hoa Vang District has kept its stoves burning.

Each day, the couple wake early to grind rice, light the stove and steam rice sheets to meet orders. According to Thai Hoa, the key to flavour lies in using xiec rice, a traditional local variety from the Quang region, combined with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, fish sauce and sugar. The rice paper is dried over glowing charcoal stoves rather than under the sun.

During the Tet period, her family produces large quantities based on customer orders and earns nearly VND 100 million in profit. Since the Tuy Loan rice paper craft was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage, she said she has remained committed to keeping the craft alive and making high-quality products for consumers.

Rice paper production provides a stable income and enables her to support her children’s education. This Tet, the workshop produced about 7,000 sheets, all of which have already been sold.

To help local residents preserve traditional crafts, Da Nang’s competent agencies have provided preferential loans, supported the purchase of machinery and equipment, and helped connect producers with distributors and enterprises that commit to purchasing their products, allowing households to maintain stable production.

According to Nguyen Ut, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Farmers’ Association, the city is home to a large number of craft villages.

The association supports producers by facilitating access to credit, providing technical advice and organising forums for information exchange. Products such as Nam O fish sauce, Tuy Loan rice paper and Ba Lieu Me sesame crackers are among Da Nang’s recognised OCOP products.

He said the city has introduced substantial support mechanisms for OCOP producers and will further disseminate these policies, thereby enabling households to better access and benefit from state support.

Spring Fair 2026 to promote Vietnamese goods, Tet traditions

Taking place during the peak “golden window” of the year-end market, the First Glorious Spring Fair 2026 is designed to align political, economic and cultural objectives, from supporting businesses and boosting production to developing the domestic market while celebrating the value of Vietnamese goods.

China’s Youyi Guan border gate accelerates customs clearance ahead of Tet

In the run-up to the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, customs clearance at China’s Youyi Guan border gate in Guangxi province, adjacent to Vietnam’s Huu Nghi international border gate in Lang Son province, has sped up as cross-border traffic surges.