Why do Chinese people choose Vietnamese durian as Tet gifts?

In China, Vietnamese durian has become a popular Tet gift thanks to its competitive price and rare deliciousness.

For the Chinese people, durian is not only a fruit, but also a symbol of luxury. If in the past, durian was a precious fruit that only royalty could enjoy, today, durian has become a precious gift, given to family, friends and relatives every time Tet comes, Spring comes.

Vietnamese durian on sale at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China. Photo: China Daily

Ma Qian, who lives in Henan province, told the China Morning Post: "My mother-in-law, a rural elder who is used to living frugally, now often suggests that we buy a durian as a gift for her. Elderly people believe that durian is very nutritious, and eating one durian can be as nutritious as eating three chickens."

As the Lunar New Year approaches, durians are widely available in the Chinese market. Among them, durians from Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia are becoming the top choices of many sellers because of their affordable prices.

In Taiyuan , a city in northern China, dozens of fresh durians are displayed at a major supermarket chain for 19.99 yuan (nearly 70,000 VND) a pound every day. Advertising slogans such as “Durian selected from ancient trees, small core, rich in flesh” and “ Durian sweet as honey, chewy and soft” are hung on the shelves, attracting Chinese consumers.

“In the past two months, our store has mainly imported fresh durian from Vietnam to save costs. Currently, this type of durian sells better than frozen durian,” Liu Chengdong, a supermarket employee in Thai Nguyen, told Xinhua.

Sharing her thoughts on Vietnamese durian, Miss Yun, a famous person on the Chinese social network Xiaohongshu, affirmed : “When ripe, Vietnamese durian tastes very delicious. However, the Vietnamese durian shell is a bit thick.”

Mr. Guo Feng, Secretary General of the Shanxi Province Chamber of Commerce (China) in Vietnam, said that thanks to large-scale imports, Vietnamese durian has a competitive advantage over Thai durian. According to Mr. Feng, Vietnamese durian also has a big advantage in price due to low production and transportation costs.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr. Bob Wang, a durian distributor, said: Thanks to the close geographical distance, imported durian from Vietnam reaches every corner of China within just 3 days, helping Vietnamese durian maintain its position in China in the coming years.

"Durian has quickly become the most popular imported fruit in China, but we still underestimate the Chinese people's demand for this fruit. Based on the current situation, it is very likely that durian demand will double in the next few years," Mr. Wang said.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/vi-sao-nguoi-trung-quoc-chon-sau-rieng-viet-lam-qua-tet-370804.html