Gia Lai: Farmers celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) in their melon fields, waiting to harvest the sweet fruit.

Mr. Mac Thanh Liem invested 1.7 billion VND in his melon farm and had to spend Tet (Lunar New Year) in the field to take care of the melons.

Video: Farmers stay in the fields to take care of melons throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

This year, the western region of Gia Lai has approximately 2,000 hectares of watermelon, concentrated in the communes of Ia Pa, Ia Tul, Ia Sao, Phu Tuc, Uar, Ia Dreh, Phu Thien, etc. The majority of this area is cultivated seasonally by farmers from the eastern communes of the province who lease land for seasonal farming.

Many melon fields were planted in October 2025, with harvesting expected in late February 2026. Because melons require regular care such as weeding, watering, staking, and fruit selection, growers are forced to live in temporary shelters in the fields. This means many families have to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) away from home.

Mr. Hau carefully handled each watermelon.

In Ia Pa commune, watermelons are grown extensively across the fields. Interspersed among the lush green rows of watermelons are small green tarpaulin sheds, ranging from 10 to 20 square meters – the living quarters for the watermelon growers. Pumps continuously draw water from the irrigation ditches into the fields, while the farmers busily weed, tie up the vines, and remove poor-quality fruit.

Mr. Le Van Hau (residing in Tay Son commune, Gia Lai province) is one of hundreds of farmers who left their families to rent land in western Gia Lai to grow melons and celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) away from home. In October 2025, he rented 2 hectares of land in Ia Pa commune to cultivate. Currently, the melon crop is growing well, with large fruits, and is expected to be harvested after Tet.

This Lunar New Year, the couple closed their house in their hometown and stayed in their melon field to tend to their crops. A makeshift melon shed was set up right in the field, complete with cooking utensils, a stove, running water, a hammock, and wooden planks for sleeping.

The melon sheds are set up right in the field.

According to Mr. Hau, over 300 million VND has been invested in the melon field, and with only about half a month left until harvest, he cannot leave the field. For over 20 years, he has celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) in the melon field every year. During Tet, he only buys a few cakes and fruits, wishes his neighbors around the field a happy new year, and then continues to take care of the melons, waiting for the day to harvest the sweet fruit.

The resting place for melon growers at the makeshift shelters.

Next to Mr. Hau's melon field is an 11-hectare melon field belonging to the Mac Thanh Liem brothers, both residing in Tay Son commune. Nearly 1.7 billion VND has been invested, so during Tet (Lunar New Year), both brothers are forced to stay on the field and cannot return to their hometown.

"Celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in the melon fields means everything is simple. On Tet day, we visit the neighboring huts to wish each other good prices for the melons, that traders will finalize their purchases early, and that everyone will have a bountiful harvest," said Mr. Liem.