Clay flower increasingly popular for 2010 Tet festival

In recent years, apart from fresh flower, Hanoians are keen on clay flower for using in decorations, especially during the Lunar New Year.
The art of making clay flower, which originated in Japan , was first introduced into HCM city in 2007, and then spread to Hanoi . In spite of making from white clay, they are still beautiful like real flowers and kept for a very long time, perhaps several years, that makes them very popular. It is counted about dozen of clay flower shops in Hanoi in particular.
According to Thuy, the owner of Huong Thuy shop in Tran Quang Dieu street , the most difficult step is mixing colors and drawing patterns on petals. There are moulds for leaves and petals of many types of flowers, but a craftsman is required to have creative mind, an eye for details and skilful hands to model them like real flowers.
At present, on the market, there are many kinds of clay for making flowers, imported from Thailand, Korea and Japan but those made from Japan are more expensive and popular due to their beauty and durability, said Ngoc Quynh, the owner of Yukiko shop in Yen Phu street.
The price varies from 30.000-250.000 VND per pot depending on the type of clay, design and size. A big pot of flowers can cost up to 1 million VND.
One month before Tet, Huong Thuy Clay flower shop has been flooded with orders, from the northern provinces , including Son La, Dien Bien and Bac Ninh, plus the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh.
Hundreds of varieties of flowers are now available in Yukiko shop. Quynh once studied in Japan for sometime, so she knew the Japanese technique used to make clay flowers and the taste of Vietnamese people.
Apart from the main shop in Yen Phu Street , she has also engaged more agents while at the same time selling goods on the Internet and setting up a workshop to make clay flower to export.
Nowadays, instead of fresh flowers, many have chosen clay flower vases as gift for friends and relatives on their birthdays, housewarming parties or for Tet’s decoration. Despite not looking and smelling like real flowers, they are still popular for their uniqueness and durability.