ClockFriday, 16/02/2018 14:40

Apricot blossom village of Dien Hoa

TTH.VN - According to the elders of Dien Hoa Commune (Phong Dien), the traditional profession of growing apricot flower trees started when some inhabitants of the village worked as royal officials in the Imperial City and brought the yellow apricot blossom seedlings to the village. The village has later developed into the apricot blossom village of Dien Hoa

Growing yellow apricot blossoms for TetCaring for apricot blossoms to welcome Tet

Mr. Nguyen Nhat Tuong is taking care of an apricot blossom tree to time its bloom on the occasion of Tet 2018 – the Year of Dog

The tradition

At present, all houses in Dien Hoa commune have at least some to nearly a hundred apricot trees. The apricot growers take seeds from their beautiful flower trees to propagate. Growing apricot blossoms not only brings economic benefits, but also preserves the beauty of traditional culture. A beautiful apricot blossom tree with high market value is one with a gracefully-shaped trunk and full branches, which takes growers dozens of years to take care of.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Tuyen, who has 35 years of experience growing apricot blossoms in hamlet 1, Dien Hoa commune, said that the professional cultivation of apricot flower trees started from his grandfather, was then passed down to his father, and finally to him. Currently, he grows nearly 20 apricots flower trees. The most expensive one can be up to 100 million VND, while the lowest approximately 50 million VND.

According to Mr. Tuyen, taking care of the apricot flower trees, besides fertilizing and watering, growers must spray insecticides for trees to grow well. Depending on the preferences and tastes, each grower wires the tree’s trunk and branches to shape them as he or she wishes. As for his own garden of apricot flowers, he wires and shapes the apricot flower trees to resemble dragons and phoenixes.

Nguyen Nhat Tuong (25 years old) is one of the young people who continues his father’s career. According to Mr. Tuong, the apricot flower cultivation in Dien Hoa commune has been traditional. Growing apricot blossom trees not only beautifies the Tet festival but also yields high economic benefits. Currently, he is helping his father to take care of 30 flower pots ready to blossom.

In 2017, his family sold a 30-year-old apricot flower tree for 70 million VND. He believes the blossom growers must be dedicated to apricot trees with passion and patience as it takes dozens of years to grow a beautiful and valuable apricot flower tree.

The establishment of apricot flower village

According to the apricot growers, the cultivation of apricot flowers should develop its own distinctive style. The cultivator must have good taste and skills to create an attractive apricot tree, which exposes itself in all four sides. To grow a desirable bonsai apricot flower tree, planters have to minutely take care of it. The trunk needs to be wired to obtain a well-balanced shape and grown in a well-matched pot. Small trees can be cultivated in ordinary pots, while larger and older ones in suitable and sizeable pots. The grower, when transferring the apricot trees to the pots, makes sure to create a nebari or surface roots. 

Of more than 1,000 households in Dien Hoa Commune, 30% are bonsai planters owning many trees aged from 10 to 20 years. Apricot blossom cultivation is a very characteristic feature of Dien Hoa commune. Many apricot trees have followed traders and collectors throughout the provinces and cities of the country.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Vinh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Hoa Commune, states that prior to the occasion of Tet, the Commune People's Committee always funds the organization of the Festival of Dien Hoa Spring Apricot Blossoms, creating a playground for apricot cultivators to promote their traditional culture and passion, thereby preserving the traditional apricot flower cultivation.

In 2018, from the district's support, the Commune People's Committee plans to set up eight to ten groups of households. Each group has two to five households to focus on planting apricot trees, and poor households are grouped with those having more experience in cultivation with a view to together developing Dien Hoa village of apricot blossoms. Currently, the commune is preparing the project proposal to submit to authorities for approval.

Every year, people come to Dien Hoa to buy apricot blossoms. Many famous apricot blossom trees in Dien Hoa have travelled to various places such as the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, Tinh Gia Vien Hue and some offices in Hue city and other provinces.

Story and photo: HAI HUE

 

 

RATING
Be the first to review this post!
  Comment

YOU MAY CARE ABOUT

The healer of the village

There is one phone number that most people in the villages of the border commune Lam Dot (A Luoi) know by heart: the phone number of Major Doan Xuan Phuoc, a military medic of the A Dot Border Guard Station, who is currently stationed at the combined military-civilian clinic of the commune.

The healer of the village
Exciting boat racing festival in Trieu Son Dong village

On the morning of February 8th (the 11th day of At Ty Lunar New Year, 2025), Trieu Son Dong Village council, in collaboration with Trieu Son Dong neighbourhood group (Huong Vinh Ward, Phu Xuan District), organized the Traditional Boat Racing Festival. The event celebrated Hue’s transition to a centrally-governed municipality as well as the 578th Memorial Day of the Founding Ancestors of Trieu Son Dong Village, while provided a festive atmosphere for locals to enjoy the Lunar New Year.

Exciting boat racing festival in Trieu Son Dong village
Heading to Quang Dien to watch Thu Le village wrestling festival

On the morning of February 3 (the 6th day of the Lunar New Year), Thu Le village wrestling festival, in Sia Town, Quang Dien District, jubilantly opened. This is a traditional beauty of residents in the lagoon area of Quang Dien District every time Tet (the Lunar New Year) comes and the Spring comes.

Heading to Quang Dien to watch Thu Le village wrestling festival
Kim Doi dried noodle sheets

Kim Doi village, Quang Thanh commune, Quang Dien district is known as a bustling place for producing dried noodle sheets during the off-season. Recently, with the support of mechanisms and policies from functional departments and the locality, the people of Kim Doi have invested more in machinery, expanded production with higher productivity and quality, and brought their products to distant markets, creating job opportunities for hundreds of local workers with stable incomes... Notably, dried noodle sheets in Kim Doi have recently been voted as a typical agricultural product of the province.

Kim Doi dried noodle sheets
Peace in An Truyen village

Hue people have a little joy in gathering family members, and relatives on weekends; this demonstrates the cultural beauty imbued with love. An Truyen village (Phu An commune, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue) is close to the city center but it still preserves the quality of a peaceful village. The fresh air of Tam Giang lagoon is a suitable choice for a sunny day.

Peace in An Truyen village

LASTEST NEWS

Return to top