Land and people of flower village

Updated date: 01/01/2024 05:31:45

DTO - From a piece of land along the Tien River, without a place name, surrounded by water on three sides but with beautiful, rich, fertile landscape... Many people from "Dang Ngoai" came here to reclaim, settle down, and form a community. Until the Gia Long dynasty, "Tan Qui Dong village" was established. This is one of the 52 villages of Vinh Trung commune, belonging to Vinh Thanh town (also one of the 5 towns of the ancient Gia Dinh Citadel).

Mr. Nguyen Van Hon - Chairman of Sa Dec City People's Committee spoke at the ceremony to pay tribute to and honor ancestors and honor the Sa Dec ornamental flower growing profession in 2021 (photo TL)

A few years later, Trinh Hoai Duc had the opportunity to observe Tan Qui Dong village and recorded in “Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi” in 1820 that: “Although this place is a forest, it is close to the city. Those who want to be quiet can go to the northern river wharf to row a boat across Tien Giang to bathe in the wind and moon. Those who like prosperity can go to the southern river wharf to row a boat down the Sa Dec river to stroll around the city”. This shows that Tan Qui Dong had a “prime” location from the beginning.

Trinh Hoai Duc also carefully contemplated the life, lifestyle, and livelihood of the residents here and wrote: "Having fields to plow is fine when being a farmer, having deep rivers is fine when being a fisherman, with all the pleasures, it is worthy of being called an island with unusually beautiful scenery."

Three centuries of ups and downs with history, going from Tan Qui Dong village, then to a village, sometimes a household, a commune until today a ward. The place name Tan Qui Dong "Hero of the Armed Forces" still retains its bravery, courage, talent and elegance, its reputation resounds throughout the South and the North, spreading to friends around the world about a "Flower Village" that creates the "City of Flowers", "Global Learning City", Sa Dec City!

The process of opening up and conquering nature here had to overcome many difficulties and challenges. At times, our ancestors felt small, almost powerless before the harshness of creation, only relying on the supernatural, so spiritual life sprouted, the need for worship and flowers and fruits was necessary. From then on, growing flowers both beautified the landscape and met spiritual needs, thanking heaven and earth every time they worshiped. At this time, flowers only met the needs of families and individuals, and there were no conditions to sell them everywhere. Gradually, giving, donating, and exchanging grew bigger and bigger until flowers became a commodity, bought and sold in the market. The formation of a new profession in agriculture began, was established and had a certain position in the life and activities of the residents at that time, which was the profession of growing ornamental flowers. Pioneers, in addition to the predecessors who have not been thoroughly studied to "leave their names forever", to "go down in history"... recently, those who "pan for gold" have known names such as: the family of Mr. Pham Van Nhan, Vo Van Phu, Tran Van Dau, Pham Van Xoai... People call this the "pioneer, pioneering generation" - from the late 19th century until 1930.

The movement for democracy, people's livelihood, and civil rights from 1930 to 1945 under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam forced the French to loosen their ruling policies; on the other hand, to plunder wealth and fully exploit our country's natural resources... they had a little bit of traffic expansion. From then on, Sa Dec's ornamental flowers had the opportunity to be sold in many places. Within just 15 years, Sa Dec's ornamental flowers had become famous in the market, comparable to Cai Mon, Go Vap, Da Lat... On Tet holiday, Sa Dec was bustling with the scene of "on the wharf, under the boat" for ornamental flowers to travel throughout the six provinces of Nam Ky. The most famous people who beautified life at that time were: Mr. Hai Ky, Hai Nhung, Muoi On, Muoi Can, Nam Sam, Van Phep; among them, Mr. Hai Huong was one of the few people who grafted amber pines and ambers the earliest and most successfully. This generation is considered to have "brought the bell to strike foreign lands". The second generation of the flower village.

Portrait of Mr. Tu Ton

Thirty years (1945 - 1975), the country was at war and also won against two superpowers, France and the United States. There is no war without sacrifice and loss... The flower village was also devastated, some people left and some did not return home, some became war invalids, some stayed with the flower fields and ornamental gardens. During this thorny and fierce period, we must mention Mr. Duong Huu Tai (commonly known as Mr. Tu Ton). He tried every way to maintain his flower garden, collect new flower varieties, especially roses. His name is associated with "Tu Ton Rose Garden", the rocky road in front of his garden house, people called it "Rose Garden Road", and then became the name of the street to this day. Before 1975, "Tu Ton Rose Garden" was a nursery for new rose varieties for the whole South. Mr. Tu Ton and his contemporaries such as: Hai Ghien, Bay Oanh, Ut Nho, Tu Ba, Sau Bo, Bay Pheo, Sau Kinh and some other people of this period that have not been fully recorded, are the "Third Generation".

After April 30, 1975, the country was unified, but only a few years later, the difficult economic situation, natural disasters, floods, and border wars caused the country to face many difficulties and challenges. The risk of food shortages threatened, the area for growing flowers gradually narrowed, and profits from ornamental flowers were insignificant. It was not until 1986, when the renovation began, that ornamental flowers revived. Ornamental flower growers during this period faced many difficulties and hardships to steadily move forward, rebuilding the ornamental flower craft village in the country's renovation. This is the fourth generation of the Ornamental Flower Craft Village.

In the period of 1990 - 2020, Sa Dec ornamental flowers have accompanied the development of the country. Production here has grown continuously, creating competitive advantages, arousing the potentials and advantages inherent from previous centuries; applying achievements in science and technology, biotechnology, hybridization, grafting, branch cutting... promoting Sa Dec ornamental flowers to develop remarkably, increasing rapidly in scale, level and production value, beautifying the landscape, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of Sa Dec residents. By the end of 2022, the area of ornamental flowers in Sa Dec is nearly 1,000 hectares, with more than 3,500 households, with tens of thousands of people cultivating, producing, trading and providing services; providing products all year round for the whole country and for export. Since 2015, many gardeners have invested in building tourist attractions, attracting tourists from all over to visit and experience... These creative, quick-witted, determined, energetic, educated and knowledgeable workers are the Fifth Generation, some people call this the "Golden Generation".

People in Tan Qui Dong ward are taking care of ornamental flowers (Photo: PL)

Three centuries have passed, five generations of cultivating ornamental flowers, the names of places and people seem to blend together and shine: Tan Qui Dong: Hero of the Armed Forces (awarded by the President in 1998). From Tan Qui Dong commune, the Prime Minister signed a Decree to change it to Tan Qui Dong Ward (in 2004). From the "Ornamental Flower Village" that has been constantly cultivated, the Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee signed a Decision to recognize it as a "Traditional Craft Village" in 2007. From Sa Dec town (an old urban area) the Prime Minister signed a Decision to recognize it as Sa Dec City - Flower City (in 2013) and as a "Type II Urban Area" (in 2018). In 2019, the United Nations UNESCO honored Sa Dec as a "Global Learning City".

"Sa Giang is more prosperous forever

"The beautiful flower village will last forever"

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