Sa Dec Flower Village in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is one of the most-visited destinations in the lead up to the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday where nature lovers can admire beautiful flowers blooming in vivid colors and enjoy the bustling atmosphere there.

Around 150 kilometers southwest of HCMC, Sa Dec Flower Village has been seen as the flower kingdom in the Mekong Delta and the country’s largest supplier of flowers for southern provinces during Tet.

The flower village is entering the busiest time of the year as local farmers are working from dawn to dusk to prepare their flower and bonsai plants for sale in the run up to the peak Tet season, Vietnam’s biggest and longest holiday, which has around three weeks to go.

It may take visitors around four hours to travel from HCMC to the flower village, but it is worth every second when they see magnificent flowers in full bloom and learn about daily lives of local farmers at the most renowned flower village in the Mekong Delta.

Farmer Huynh Minh Nghia, who has more than 20 years’ experience in growing flowers in the village, told the Daily that every year when Tet arrives, the century-old flower village is always crowded as many visitors come there for taking photos.

“Before Tet, each farm in the village can attract over 200 visitors a day but farmers do not charge tourists,” Nghia added. 

Indeed, young women wearing ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) and posing for photos by beautiful flowers are normally seen in flower farms.

Sa Dec flower village is home to some 2,000 households that chiefly earn a living by growing flowers and ornamental trees for sale. Currently, transport service using four-wheel electric vehicles is available there, with the return fare of VND40,000 (US$1.76) per person.

Tourists are recommended to drop by the flower village by the 20th of the 12th lunar month, which falls on February 5 this year, when flowers are trucked or loaded onto boats to flower markets in HCMC and other parts of the country.

Locals and wholesalers bargain over flower purchases and exchange merry chats while many visitors are excited to take photos, turning the quiet village into a busy area.

Those planning to take a short trip to Sa Dec Flower Village can consider a day tour of Sa Dec flower village - Cao Lanh - Lai Vung mandarin orange garden at Saigontourist Travel Service Co., an arm of Saigontourist Holding Company, with the price of VND979,000 (US$43) and departure set for February 3.

A girl poses for a photo by colorful flowers at a flower farm  There are more than 2,000 households majoring in flower farming at the 100-year-old flower village Sa Dec Flower Village in Dong Thap Province is frequented by tourists in the run up to Tet holiday A couple of farmers put flower baskets on a motorbike for delivery to their customers

SGT/Giao Thong