Discover the Bình Minh peach blossom region.

We went to Binh Minh hamlet, Dong Hy commune - an area formerly belonging to Minh Lap commune, famous for its endless tea plantations, but not to admire the tea plantations, but to find the peach orchards. Because in recent years, Binh Minh has been mentioned as a peach-growing region.

Binh Minh hamlet (Dong Hy commune) with its tea plantations, rice fields, and peach orchards.

Silently, the peach blossoms

The gentle slopes leading into the village reveal a familiar yet strange landscape: lush green tea plantations on the hillsides, vibrant yellow ripening rice fields, and on the low mounds, peach trees stand tall, their tender green branches and leaves creating a soft, peaceful layer of color covering the hillsides.

Leading us along the winding road through the hills, Mr. Lang Quoc Nhat, Secretary of Binh Minh hamlet, recounted: "Peach trees came to Minh Lap more than 40 years ago. On the low, dry but still moist hills, peach trees thrive. Our grandparents planted a few trees as a trial, found them suitable, and quietly continued to cultivate them. By the time it became a peach-growing area, many people didn't even notice."

Mr. Nhat's peach orchard is located next to the provincial road. He carefully shapes each bonsai peach tree, giving it a unique look. For the past two years, he has been trying his hand at cultivating the "mysterious peach" variety – a difficult shape that requires meticulousness and precision.

Mr. Nhat gently turned a peach blossom branch while explaining, "We plant a few of each style to make them easier to sell. Now, with the help of tools, growers don't have to work so hard. But to make the tree look soft, natural, and 'soulful,' you still have to rely on a keen eye for detail."

In Mr. Nhat's garden, there are about 20 ancient peach blossom trees, along with nearly 100 old, bonsai peach trees being nurtured to be ready for Tet (Lunar New Year). Mr. Nhat mused: "Beautiful peach blossoms don't just appear overnight. To get them to bloom exactly for Tet, you have to monitor the weather day by day. If it's too warm, you have to slow the blooming; if it's too cold, you have to maintain the temperature. Peach growers live by the rhythm of the trees."

Wild peach blossoms bloom early in Binh Minh hamlet.

Deeper into the village lies the hill belonging to Mr. Vi Van Mao's family. The small house sits amidst the breezy hills, surrounded by 250 ornamental peach trees. Each tree is carefully shaped, with a strong trunk and evenly spreading canopy.

Mr. Vi Van Mao said: "Here, we don't worry about flooding, but we worry about the flowers blooming. To ensure they bloom at the right time for Tet, we have to monitor each bud and each cold spell. Some years, the warm weather lasts for a long time, so we have to slow down the plants."

Mr. Vi Van Mao pointed to the peach blossom buds still nestled among the leaves: "These tiny buds will produce flowers. By looking at the buds, you can predict the Tet season. From now until Tet, you have to take care of them, checking on them 3-4 times a day."

However, Mr. Ha Van Dat's peach orchard is marked by a different kind of tradition. Mr. Dat specializes in collecting ancient peach trees from various places and nurturing them. In his garden, the gnarled, moss-covered trunks of the peach trees have wide canopies that provide shade.

Mr. Ha Van Dat said: "Some of the trees I brought home weren't 'mature' yet; their canopies weren't even, and their roots were weak. I didn't sell them right away. I waited another year for them to grow stronger. I would regret selling a tree that wasn't ready yet."

Last Tet (Lunar New Year), Mr. Ha Van Dat sold an ancient peach tree for 7 million VND. But that was the result of a whole year of tending, fertilizing, shaping, and monitoring the buds. "Growing peach trees is a gamble with the weather. A few days off from Tet means a drop in value immediately," Mr. Ha Van Dat added.

Peach blossoms interspersed with rice and tea plants.

The peach orchards in Binh Minh are quite diverse, featuring various styles: majestic ancient peach trees, gracefully shaped peach trees, unusual and eye-catching cascading peach trees, lush cluster peach trees, and even delicate wild peach trees. According to local residents, shaped peach trees are the most popular because they are easy to sell and reasonably priced.

What sets Binh Minh apart is that this peach-growing region doesn't have the appearance of a vast, sprawling "orchard." Peach trees are interspersed with tea, rice, and forestry trees. Peach growers multitask, not depending solely on the peach crop. Therefore, the area under peach cultivation here remains stable and doesn't expand rapidly.

According to statistics, the entire hamlet has nearly 3.5 hectares of peach orchards, with 40 out of 314 households participating. Some households earn high incomes, around several hundred million dong per year from ornamental peach trees. However, this group only accounts for about 25%. The majority of households only earn 10-20 million dong per year - a modest income compared to the effort put in.

Mr. Lang Quoc Nhat, from Binh Minh hamlet, Dong Hy commune, is shaping the peach blossom trees.

Mr. Lang Quoc Nhat said: "Growing peach trees is hard work, and the income is unstable. Many households don't dare to plant them on a large scale because they only sell them in one season. Planting them at the wrong time means losing everything." That's also why people in Binh Minh still consider tea and forestry as the most stable sources of income. Peach trees are just a way to supplement income and preserve the long-standing traditions of this hilly region.

Binh Minh is located in the "core" area of ​​Trai Cai tea - one of the four famous tea-producing regions of Thai Nguyen . Therefore, the people here are always clearly aware that tea is the main crop , creating a brand and stable income for the entire village. The tea plantation area is not only linked to household economics but also to the raw material area of ​​the Trai Cai tea brand. The people choose to retain a small area of ​​tea plantations - just enough to generate additional income and maintain the traditional craft - while still preserving the Trai Cai green tea leaves , which have sustained generations of people in this hilly region.

Leaving Binh Minh, I came across an early-blooming wild peach tree on the hillside. On its slender branches, a few pale pink petals gently swayed in the breeze. Unpruned and unforced, the flowers bloomed naturally against the backdrop of green tea plantations and golden rice paddies, creating a pristine beauty. In a region renowned for its tea, this unpretentious peach orchard is quietly contributing to the income and adding a unique charm to Binh Minh.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202511/kham-pha-vung-dao-binh-minh-484437a/