The flooding season is a special time in the southwestern region of Vietnam. This is also the blooming season of water lilies.

During this time, farmers in An Giang row their canoes to harvest water lilies, a "specialty" that grows wild everywhere, from rivers and canals to fields.

Mr. Chau Cuong, 47, in Tri Ton district, said that in the dry season, water lily tubers hide deep under mud, waiting for the flooding season. That's why local people call it "ghost water lily".

“Water lilies are only abundant during the flood season. This plant grows and rises with the flood waters. The more the water rises, the longer the leaf stalks and stems become," Mr. Cuong said.

Local people often harvest water lilies from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.

They tie water lilies into bundles with 40 flowers each to sell to traders for 6,000-7,000 VND/bundle, earning an average of 100,000-200,000 VND per day.

Mr. Le Chau Thanh, 52, from Nui Sam ward, Chau Doc city, a trader of water lilies, said that after collecting the flowers from local residents, he sells them to wholesalers in the city of Long Xuyen for 9,000-11,000 VND/bundle. 

The water lily, a well-known plant in the southwestern region, is processed into many unique dishes.

Tran Tuyen