Mekong Delta flower village cultivates Tet spirit

By Hoang Nam January 14, 2020 | 04:57 am PT

As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, a Mekong Delta village in Ben Tre Province lures scores of visitors with its colorful flowers blooming amid 100-year-old kilns.

For years now, the 3-hectare land near the old brickyard has been hired by locals in Cho Lach District in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to grow flowers to serve Tet demand. Cho Lach flower village is the largest second in the Mekond Delta after Sa Dec flower village in Dong Thap Province with 600 hectares of flower plants.

For years, three hectares of land dotted with old kilns and surrounded by the Tien, Ham Luong and Co Chieng rivers have been used by Cho Lach District locals to grow Tet flowers.

Utilizing 600 hectares, Cai Mon is the Mekong Delta's second largest flower-growing village after Sa Dec in Dong Thap Province.

A few weeks before Tet, Vietnam’s most important festival, fields of mostly chrysanthemum cast a yellow carpet across the local landscape. Locals and tourists alike flock here to take photos before the flowers are shipped to traders.

The flower grown with the largest volumes in this area is probably chrysanthemum morifolium.

Vietnam boasts a long tradition of using fresh flowers in offerings to both deities and ancestors, in prayers for luck and home decorations during the festive season.

Late December to mid-January is ideal time for photographers before villagers transport flowers to neighboring provinces and HCMC.

About 80 percent of local flowers have been pre-sold, with prices increasing by 5-10 percent year-on-year.

The country will enjoy a seven-day Tet holiday staring January 23, two days before Lunar New Year.

As one of the major agricultural suppliers in the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre is a province of fertile flatlands, extensive waterways, sand-hillocks, green paddy fields and lush orchards.The special feature of Ben Tre is the vast green orchards where visitors are allowed to pick fresh fruits from the trees and try as they want. Cultural and historical destinations such as Dua Religion Site, Tuyen Linh Pagoda and Dong Khoi Village are also well-known tourist attractions in Ben Tre.

As a major agricultural supplier, Ben Tre Province boasts fertile flatlands, extensive waterways, sand-hillocks, green paddy fields and lush orchards, where visitors are allowed to pick fresh fruit.

Cultural and historical destinations such as Dua religious site, Tuyen Linh Pagoda and Dong Khoi Village are some additional local attractions.