Charcoal burns overnight as vendors prepare grilled snakehead fish for God of Wealth Day in Ho Chi Minh City

The God of Wealth, worshipped by families across Vietnam, is believed to control money and finances.

On God of Wealth Day, religious people, particularly families involved in business, pray to the God of Wealth for prosperity and good fortune throughout the year.

These prayers are typically accompanied by offerings of gold, fruit, grilled meat, and, without fail, grilled snakehead fish.

From the early hours of Thursday, the street transformed into a corridor of smoke, heat, and hurried hands.

At around 3:00 am, customers were already lining up, eager to secure freshly grilled offerings for the God of Wealth.

At Ngoc Lan, one of the best-known grilled snakehead fish shops on the street, more than 3,000 fish had been brought in for the occasion.

Preparation began at 6:00 am the previous day.

Stall employees cleaned, skewered, and arranged the fish over glowing charcoal pits, taking turns through the night to keep up with the steady flow of orders.

Dam Trung Son, a representative of the shop, said prices remain largely stable compared to last year.

Smaller fish sell for between VND170,000 (US$6.5) and VND200,000 ($7.6) each, while the prices of larger ones range from VND250,000 ($9.6) to VND300,000 ($11.5) each, bundled with herbs and rice vermicelli.

Le Van Hung, owner of another long-running establishment, said grilling snakehead fish is deceptively simple.

“The fish is cleaned and placed directly over charcoal. There’s no elaborate seasoning," Hung explained. "However, the hardest part is controlling the fire to ensure the fish cooks evenly, especially with larger fish."

“I work in business, so I’m used to waking early. Today is God of Wealth Day, so I came out at dawn to pick the freshest fish for the altar,” said client Diep.

“I hope for smooth work and better luck this year."

A few hundred meters away, down a narrow alley off Tan Ky Tan Quy Street, another family-run operation tended smaller charcoal stoves.

Canh, the owner, said he had stocked only 100-200 fish this year.

“Shops at the front of the street can afford to bring in thousands,” he said.

“In recent years, authorities have tightened control over sidewalk encroachment, and business here has slowed.

“Many small vendors decided not to light their fires this year."

Despite a slight dip in purchasing power, grilled snakehead fish remains one of the most sought-after offerings for the occasion, symbolizing fortune and abundance.

Elsewhere in the city, Ta Uyen Street, long known as a hub for roast pork and duck, was relatively quiet at around 4:00 am.

Yet at 5:30 am, even a light drizzle failed to deter customers, who queued outside the Vinh Phong roast duck shop to buy roast pork and duck for their altars.

Several vendors said that most customers were small business owners hoping to begin the new year with success and smooth business operations.

Some observed that buyers arrived later than in previous years and that overall demand had softened slightly.