Although usually consumers in the big cities of Vietnam have tended to buy traditional toys for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese products have flooded the markets in rural areas.

Chinese toys flood Nghe An Province 

In Nghe An Province Chinese toys and those without clear origin toys have outsold traditionally made toys this year. Chinese toys can be seen everywhere from supermarkets, to wholesalers and street stalls. Often their eye-catching designs and bright colours make it difficult for the Vietnamese-made products to compete.

At toy stalls in Vinh Market and some areas in Vinh City, the majority of toys sold have been imported from China or do not indicate their origin. Instructions are often not in Vietnamese and the materials used are unclear.

Mrs. Lan, a kiosk owner at Vinh Market, said, “Vietnamese toys are quite rare. I'm not only talking about toys for Mid-Autumn Festival. The only toy in my shop that I know was made here is this dump truck. But people will not buy it because it is poorly designed."

Another seller added, "There are not many Vietnamese products available. On top of that, the price I can sell them for is so low. That's why I prefer to sell Chinese products."

Quang Trung Street in Vinh City is another place that has been flooded with foreign goods. Oftentimes, even the sellers are unaware of the origins.

“It's almost impossible to find Vietnamese-made Mid-Autumn toys. If you see something with a label that says “Made in Vietnam”, they are likely Chinese. A fake stamp only costs about VND20,000 (USD0.95)."

Mr. Minh in Hung Binh Ward, Vinh City, shared, he spent VND300,000 (USD14.28) to buy three Chinese lanterns. He said that they had nice designs, and that was the most important thing, not their quality.

Many say that this has shown some weaknesses in the campaign to encourage people to buy Vietnamese-made products.

In response Vinh City Police have seized a number of Chinese made toys that they deemed to encourage violence, such as swords and guns.

Difference between urban and rural markets

In Ho Chi Minh City, sales of traditional Vietnamese toys has been better.

Mrs. My Thuong Quy, the owner of decorative multi-coloured paper lantern shop on District 5’s Luong Nhu Hoc Street, said that this year the lantern prices have increased by VND5,000-10,000 due to higher material costs. Despite the price rise, traditional lanterns have outsold Chinese imports.

Quy said that, at least as of September 17, the best selling shops are those which sell a wide variety of toys and lanterns, adding that Vietnamese products in HCM City are cheaper than those from China.

Shop owners have said that the reason people have been choosing Vietnamese products might be due to the tough economic situation. The types of lanterns preferred this year has also shifted, with many choosing the cheaper butterfly or fish designs, usually priced between VND12,000-40,000.

Plastic lanterns from China are normally sold at between VND40,000-60,000 (USD1.9-2.85), sometimes even up to VND80,000 (USD3.8) in supermarkets. But their designs have not changed from previous year. This year, in urban areas, they have not been able to compete with Vietnamese-made products.

In Ho Chi Minh City, sales of traditional Vietnamese toys has been better.