Western farmers turn gardens into Tet check-in spots

Dong Thap: In the days leading up to Tet, Mr. Phan Van Sang's Ba Lien pink tangerine garden in Lai Vung district is still bustling with hundreds of visitors coming to visit and take photos.

At the same time, many other gardeners in the district are still running around looking for traders to sell their tangerines.

Three years ago, Mr. Sang had the idea of developing his family's red tangerine garden into an eco-tourism destination after realizing that the orchards full of beautiful, golden fruit every Tet would become ideal "check-in" spots. He discussed with his family and then implemented a trial on a 3.3-hectare garden.

After investing in building infrastructure, garden paths and miniature landscapes such as lotus ponds, monkey bridges, gourd trellis... Ba Lien pink grapefruit garden officially opened to welcome visitors from Tet 2022.

Mr. Phan Van Sang, owner of Ba Lien pink tangerine garden, who developed his family tangerine garden into a tourist destination. Photo: Character provided — Mr. Phan Van Sang, owner of Ba Lien pink tangerine garden, who developed his family tangerine garden into a tourist destination. Photo: *Character provided*

From a few initial individual guests, through media, social networks, plus good feedback from tourists, in the following years, the number of guests gradually increased, including large groups of guests from Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Hanoi.

Up to now, Ba Lien pink tangerine garden welcomes an average of 350 visitors each weekend, about 100 visitors on weekdays. The garden starts welcoming visitors from December until around the 29th of Tet when it closes for traders to pick tangerines.

Currently, Sang's main source of income comes from selling entrance tickets (VND50,000 per person) combined with selling fruit to individual customers. "I set aside 4 hectares (4,000 m2) to sell to visitors," Sang said. "At the beginning of the season, the estimated yield was about 16 tons, and customers have already bought more than 6 tons."

Because it is a tourist attraction, Sang prioritizes the use of biological products and organic fertilizers during the care process, while ensuring enough time to quarantine the drugs before starting to welcome guests.

"Organically grown grapefruits are more delicious, sweet and have more eye-catching colors," Sang said. "I improve the quality of fruit trees to serve tourists, and I myself also benefit."

Mr. Sang said that previously, farmers growing red tangerines in Lai Vung district only sold to traders, so they could not avoid being forced to lower prices during harvest time. In addition, the high cost of fertilizers and pesticides and the outbreak of diseases caused many gardeners to suffer. Choosing to develop eco-tourism, combining the sale of local products and catering services, his family's tangerine garden brought in better income than before.

"I have just converted 15,000 square meters of ineffective pomelo and tangerine growing area to pink pomelo," Sang shared.

Mr. Truong Le Huy Hoang, owner of the check-in location Thach Thao Glamping, has the idea of turning a 1,000 m2 garden of thach thao into a tourist destination. Photo: Provided by the character. — Mr. Truong Le Huy Hoang, owner of the "check-in" location Thach Thao Glamping, has the idea of turning a 1,000 m2 garden of thach thao into a tourist destination. Photo: Provided by the character.

These days, the "check-in" spot Thach Thao Glamping in Sa Dec City of Mr. Truong Le Huy Hoang, 36 years old, is also attracting hundreds of weekend visitors.

On an area of 10,000 square meters, Mr. Hoang planted more than 120,000 aster flowers. He directly took the flower seeds from Da Lat to ensure the standard, disease-free seed source. "The flowers bloom after 3.5 months of planting. The aster is durable and can bloom for up to 1.5 months before fading," Mr. Hoang shared.

In addition to selling tickets to visitors (ticket price 30,000 VND per person), Mr. Hoang also sells potted flowers, cut flowers, and wreaths to customers in need. The tourist attraction brings good income to Mr. Hoang during the days before Tet when many tourists flock to the "flower and ornamental capital of the West" to visit.

"With traditional flower growing methods, gardeners are completely dependent on traders. Combining flower growing with tourism will help increase the gardener's income and avoid price pressure," said Mr. Hoang.

After the Year of the Dragon, he will open more camping and homestay services combined with healing tourism for tourists in need. "Growing flowers combined with tourism will reduce risks in the consumption of flowers and ornamental plants," Hoang concluded. "In the near future, if I achieve positive results, I will adjust the aster to grow in rotation in the field so that I can serve tourists all year round."

Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia, chairman of Lai Vung district, said that the locality currently has 10 red tangerine gardens converted into tourist attractions.

Recently, the district authorities have encouraged the model of farmers doing tourism, combining visiting fruit gardens with experiencing historical and cultural values and traditional craft villages, contributing to increasing profits for gardeners.

"This year, the number of tourists visiting the pink grapefruit garden increased by about 50,000 people, proving that the development of garden and ecological tourism combined with traditional cultural values is on the right track," said Mr. Nghia.

Trong Nhan

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