Tet, or Lunar New Year, is knocking on the the door, and many locals are looking for ways to make the occasion as special as possible. The coming year is the Year of the Dog, so many have been on the hunt for coins and notes with images of dogs on them to give as li xi, lucky money that adults give to children and loved ones for the new year. |
These notes are selling like hot cakes at the moment, said a vendor named Dang. “This is a genuine one from Belarus. I’m going sell them for VND35,000 ($1.54) per note. It’s been quite an effort to collect notes and coins with images of dogs on them because not many countries have them.” |
Most notes with images of dog are produced in the U.S. and Australia. This Australian souvenir note costs VND100,000. |
A gold souvenir note from Macau. |
Another Macau note featuring a dog. This one costs VND25,000. |
This two-dollar souvenir note from the U.S. is a favorite and is being sold for VND350,000-400,000. Dang said he imported more than 800 notes for the holiday season and has sold almost all of them. A local named Hanh in Ho Chi Minh City told VnExpress that he has spent VND4 million buying 10 notes. “They are rare and expensive but I want to give them to my loved ones to wish them good luck.” |
These souvenir Australian coins are yet another favorite for the Year of Dog. They are priced at VND300,000 per pair. |
This silver souvenir Australian coin costs VND400,000, said a buyer named Lan in Ho Chi Minh City. |
This man has just paid VND5 million for 10 two-dollar notes and some coins. “I’ll give them to my friends, nieces and nephews.” |