Peach blossoms stretch their branches against the rocky mountainside.

As the spring breeze arrives, dispelling the cold of winter, more than 30 households growing peach blossoms in Phu Thuong commune (Vo Nhai district) are busy tending their flower gardens.

Many first-time visitors are surprised to find that in this remote highland region, besides the ancient peach blossom trees rooted in the rocky mountains, there are also clusters of vibrant pink peach blossoms, some with graceful, others upright shapes, that are breathtakingly beautiful. Even the locals are often amazed to see these clusters of pink peach blossoms reaching up the rocky mountains, possessing such a dazzling beauty…

The people of Mo Ga hamlet (Phu Thuong commune, Vo Nhai district) are tending to their peach blossom gardens.

A stroke of luck

Over 10 years ago, many households in Phu Thuong bought peach blossom trees to decorate their homes during the Lunar New Year. After the spring, they planted these trees in their gardens. Season after season, the peach trees thrived, producing beautiful blossoms every spring.

Recognizing that peach blossoms thrive in the rocky foothills, about three or four years ago, many households in Phu Thuong boldly invested in growing them for sale. While they knew that cultivating peach blossoms required considerable effort, through these initial experiences and the many Tet (Lunar New Year) seasons spent tending to the trees, the people here have accumulated much experience and developed a deep love and attachment to peach blossoms.

Mr. Luong Van Luc from Mo Ga hamlet: My family has been growing peach blossoms for sale for 3 years now. From the initial difficulties, we now understand the characteristics of this flower; the grafting techniques; and how to care for it so that it blooms at the right time for Tet…

Like previous flowering seasons, this year, Mr. Luc's family planted over 100 peach blossom trees. According to him, in the first season, he stripped the leaves two months before Tet (Lunar New Year). However, whether the peach blossoms bloom at the right time for Tet depends heavily on the weather. Therefore, in the following season, he gained experience and carefully monitored the weather to strip the leaves.

This year, due to warmer weather than usual, he stripped the leaves from the peach blossoms a month and a half before Tet (in colder years, he would strip the leaves two or more months before Tet). Thanks to diligent care, just about two weeks after stripping the leaves, his family's peach blossom garden had already sprouted tiny buds. He said: "Once the buds have emerged from the tree, I stop watering the roots to prevent the flowers from blooming too early. About two or three weeks before Tet, I resume caring for and watering the trees daily so that the buds grow quickly and bloom just in time for Tet…"

Thanks to a gift from nature, peach growers in Phu Thuong now know how to cherish and nurture their orchards, allowing them to flourish alongside the rocky mountains, creating a unique beauty in this highland region.

The peach blossoms in Phu Thuong (Vo Nhai) are more vibrant than those in other peach blossom growing areas of the province.

The peach blossoms are vibrant and abundant.

The famous peach blossom villages I've visited, such as Nhật Tân in Hanoi and Cam Giá in Thái Nguyên City, are both located along rivers. Perhaps the alluvial soil provides the nutrients that give the peach trees the lifeblood to bloom and beautify the world. However, what surprised me most was that even at the foot of time-worn, gray rocky mountains, these peach trees could produce such beautiful flowers.

Mr. Hoang Van Giang from Mo Ga hamlet said: "The biggest difference between the peach blossoms here and those in other areas is that the trees are full of flowers; the blossoms are large, with thick petals and vibrant colors."

To verify Mr. Giang's words, we visited the peach blossom gardens in Mo Ga. In the fading afternoon sun of the late year, each branch of peach blossoms had begun to bloom, a captivating sight. Seeing and touching the thick petals of the peach blossoms, we could not deny the words of Mr. Giang, who has been involved in peach cultivation for the past four years.

To create such beautiful peach blossom trees, local flower growers have been very creative in grafting scions (from pink peach or light pink peach) with Nhat Tan peach blossoms. This combination has resulted in branches with abundant flowers, similar to Nhat Tan peach blossoms, but with larger blossoms than any other peach-growing region in the country.

According to peach blossom growers in Phu Thuong, the soil and climate are what create the unique, vibrant color of the peach blossoms in this mountainous region. Customers from both the lowlands and the highlands alike nod in approval and never leave empty-handed when they come here to buy peach blossoms for the Lunar New Year.

Originating from traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations, cultivating peach blossom trees has now become a fairly common occupation in Phu Thuong, with the highest concentration in Mo Ga hamlet. On average, each household plants over 100 peach blossom trees annually. The households with the most trees are those of Mr. Hoang Ngoc Tu, Mr. Hoang Van Giang, and Mr. La Van Thin in Mo Ga hamlet (each planting between 150 and over 200 trees per household each year).

In just three or four years, the peach blossoms of Phu Thuong became famous, attracting many people from within and outside the province to buy them during Tet (Lunar New Year). In fact, many flower growers in Nhat Tan even brought seedlings here, partnering with some peach blossom growers in Mo Ga hamlet to graft trees and place orders throughout the year. Peach blossom cultivation has brought a considerable income to the people in this mountain hamlet.

Mr. Luong Van Luc said: "Last year, my family planted more than 100 peach trees. With selling prices ranging from 400,000 to 800,000 VND per tree, after deducting expenses, my wife and I earned a considerable amount of money."

About a month before the 2025 Lunar New Year, people from all over flocked here to see the flowers, choose trees, and place deposits. The peach blossom growers in this mountainous region were therefore very excited.

Thus, along with the hills of oranges, tangerines, and lush green custard apple trees, the people of Phu Thuong have acquired a new occupation – peach cultivation, opening up many prospects for the future. The new rural commune of Phu Thuong will therefore continue to develop, and its people will enjoy a more prosperous life.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202501/bich-dao-vuon-minh-ben-nui-da-1c918c4/