Experience Hung Yen longan season

When mentioning Hung Yen , we often immediately think of the famous longan fruit. Longan trees have been associated with the childhood of children for generations, permeated the consciousness of those far from home, and are a part of the lives of Hung Yen people.

Coming to Hung Yen in the longan season, you can fully feel the connection between longan trees and the lives of the people here. In each garden, the longan trees are 3 - 5m high, with rough, dark brown bark, heavy clusters of longan on the branches, light brown, round fruit. Each branch hangs down to the ground, cared for, protected, and cherished by the grower as if pouring all his heart into it.

Longan season in Hung Yen lasts about 3 months with 3 main harvests. The first harvest is early longan harvested from July 20-30; the second harvest is main-season longan from September 7-15; the third harvest is late-ripening longan harvested until the end of October.

Whether there is a good fruit season or not, the annual longan ripening season always brings to Hung Yen a significant economic benefit and potential values for developing agricultural tourism and experiences.

Agricultural tourism in longan growing areas of Hung Yen

In August, following the left bank of the Red River to Pho Hien, visitors will encounter rows of lush, fruit-laden longan trees stretching as far as the eye can see, creating a unique feature of the Hung Yen countryside. Pho Hien longan growing area is famous for the brand "longan for the king", which is grown in the communes of Hong Nam and Quang Chau (Hong Chau ward). Most of the longan varieties grown in these localities have a part of the gene pool from the precious longan variety from the 16th century.

Mr. Phan Dinh Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hong Chau Ward, Hung Yen City, said: At Hien Pagoda, up to now, there is still a longan tree that is over 400 years old. Every year, the tree is still lush, with many delicious fruits.

Not only bringing sweet fruit season, organic longan gardens in Hong Nam commune, Hung Yen city, are opening a new direction - developing agricultural experience tourism - bringing the Hung Yen longan brand far and wide, to domestic and foreign tourists. One of the organic longan growers in Hong Nam commune, welcoming groups of tourists to visit, experience picking longan, and enjoy ripe longan right at the garden, is the household of Mr. Bui Xuan Su. Realizing that growing organic longan ensures the health of consumers and growers, from 2021, he boldly converted 1.5 hectares from growing VietGap longan to growing in the direction of organic farming, without using pesticides, fertilizing longan with a mixture of corn, beans, and fish fermented with biological fertilizer. Plant protection chemicals made from ginger, garlic, and chili are sprayed on the leaves and trunks of longan trees. Clean agricultural products are a way to help his garden attract groups of tourists to visit and experience.

Longan gardens in Ham Tu commune (Khoai Chau - Hung Yen) are also the destination of many tourist groups every longan ripening season; helping to attract tourists and solve the problem of good harvest, low price. Longan growers in Ham Tu commune have linked up, established a cooperative model, implemented the longan growing process according to VietGap standards, expanded the market, and brought this specialty to domestic and foreign markets.

This year, during the longan crop, Mien Thiet Cooperative welcomed many domestic and foreign tourists to visit and experience. On weekends, many tourists come to experience. For about 9 years now, Mien Thiet Cooperative's 0 VND experience tour has become a brand, attracting many groups of tourists to book to visit and experience.

According to the garden owners, the garden is usually open from 8am to 6pm, welcoming visitors every day of the week. Coming to the longan garden, in addition to enjoying fresh longan fruit right in the garden, visitors also have the opportunity to learn and explore products made from longan such as: Longan, honey, listen to the drum singing performances, watch folk art performances associated with local culture.

Joining the agricultural experience tour group, having visited many gardens across the country, Mr. Ha Tuan Son (Thanh Hoa) was very impressed with the longan gardens of Mien Thiet Cooperative. "Coming to Hung Yen longan garden, I really liked the bunches of longan laden with fruit and the airy space, fresh air. In particular, the garden owners were very enthusiastic in welcoming me, and did not charge an entrance fee. What was more interesting was that I got to pick and enjoy the ripe longan fruits with thick flesh, seeds, and a sweet taste right in the garden, and keep beautiful photos with my friends" - Mr. Son shared.

Elevating Hung Yen tourism

Evaluating the tourism model of visiting historical and cultural relics and experiencing longan gardens in the province, Mr. Do Huu Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hung Yen province, said: This tourism model is developing, contributing to diversifying and enriching products, increasing choices for tourists when learning about and experiencing the beauty of the homeland and people of Hung Yen. To develop this type of tourism sustainably, specialized sectors, tourism businesses and gardeners need to have close and comprehensive coordination, investing in facilities and infrastructure serving tourism.

Currently, this fruit has been granted a certificate of geographical indication registration by the Department of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology), applied in 4 major longan growing areas including: Hung Yen city, Khoai Chau district, Kim Dong and Tien Lu. Longan brought to the market is packed in green mesh bags with labels and geographical indication origin stamps. The whole province has 15 growing areas that have been granted export area codes, of which 2 areas have been granted export codes to the US, 13 growing areas have been granted export codes to China.

In recent years, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Hung Yen province have directed and issued many important Resolutions, Programs, Plans, and Projects for tourism development. In particular, Resolution No. 368/NQ-HDND, dated July 6, 2023, advocates building a route connecting cultural heritage and tourism to develop the economy along the Red River.

Building and developing typical tourism products of the cultural countryside, including: Spiritual tourism associated with the Red River rice civilization; Cultural river tour of Pho Hien - Da Hoa - Hanoi; entertainment and resort services at Ecopark...

Along with that, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Department of Industry and Trade of Hung Yen province regularly coordinates with units to introduce and promote the land and people of Hung Yen through Hung Yen Longan Week; the program "Colors of Hung Yen Tourism"; introducing Hung Yen Cultural Tourism Space - a journey of discovery - dissemination in Hanoi; the conference "Promoting tourist destinations of Hung Yen province in 2023" and many other activities in other provinces and cities./.

Source link