China's 'baby pears' become best-selling fruits in Vietnam

Baby pears, a popular fruit moulded into a figurine as it is grown in China, has recently become a best-selling food on the markets of Vietnam, reported by Vietnamese media.

With the cute modeling and character for 'Fu' (blessing) across the figure's chest, this 'baby pear' attracted many customers and was regarded as 'the god of wealth pear' by local merchants. It was the veritable god of wealth because it was widely sold across the Vietnam.

The best-selling 'baby pears' in the market of Vietnam. (File photo)

The fruits are grown inside a mould, shaping them into figurines. 'Baby pears' were sold in different regions of China in the past few years.

"In addition to the shapes of god of wealth, the moulded fruits that feature the god of longevity and Maitreya Buddha are also widely sold in Vietnam. I started to sell baby pears in December last year for about 13 RMB each. At the beginning, I never thought that they would be so popular in the market; I just stocked several cases of baby pears. Later I almost sold out a ton of these fruits. A number of customers were attracted by their cute appearances and beautiful meanings, hoping to bring luck and wealth to families," Ruan Dehe, a fruit merchant in Vietnam told the reporter.

The plastic fruits shaped as the god of longevity and cute baby. (File photo)

Baby pears also became a hit in local markets of Ho Chi Minh, the biggest city in Vietnam. Baby pears have a long shelf life of about two or three months. The local media thought that may be too many preservatives were being used to extend the expiration date. However, most of the local customers did not care about whether the preservatives were used or not. Because they bought the shaped fruits and displayed them at home for good luck. "They are so cute, how can we have the heart to eat them?" said some customers.

The best-selling 'baby pears' in the market of China. (File photo)

The best-selling 'baby pears' in the market of China. (File photo)