In the heart of Hanoi lies a vast orchid forest, cultivated in high-tech greenhouses spanning 150,000 square meters. An industrial air conditioning system runs 24/7. Irrigation water is treated using RO technology, and the seaweed used for growing the orchids is imported from Chile, South America, and other regions.
Engineer Nguyen Van Kinh stands beside the blooming Phalaenopsis orchids, carefully cultivated and cared for at the Global Flower Garden - Photo: THAI LOC
Even Taiwanese businesspeople, from Taiwan, the world's orchid capital, were overwhelmed by the scale and technology of this garden, which surpasses even the most prestigious orchid gardens in Taiwan and Asia. The garden currently boasts approximately 2 million orchid plants in 130 popular colors, with plans to increase that number to 8 million by 2025, and includes greenhouses for growing orchids for the 2027 and 2028 Lunar New Year.
Meticulous care for the "king of flowers".
As the greenhouse doors opened, we were greeted by tens of thousands of orchid plants neatly arranged in rows at the Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation project of Toan Cau High-Tech Agricultural Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (Dan Phuong district, Hanoi). Layers of multicolored orchid branches bloomed and curved in the same direction, making each greenhouse look like an endless flower field on the eve of spring.
When the first phalaenopsis orchid buds bloom at the end of November in the lunar calendar, traders flock to the orchid gardens to transport tens of thousands of these flowers, considered the "king of flowers," to all three regions of Vietnam.
Getting the flowers to bloom precisely for Tet requires a special three-year care process, much like raising a child.
Every day, more than 100 workers have to take care of each plant individually, from checking temperature and humidity, watering, fertilizing, to controlling light and preventing pests and diseases.
As an engineer who studied orchid cultivation in Taiwan, Mr. Le Minh Tuan recounts that it's not difficult for orchid enthusiasts to choose a beautiful orchid plant that blooms on Tet (Vietnamese New Year), but the cultivation process is not easy. It's difficult to force the orchid to bloom on the desired day, producing 10 to 30 flowers. Depending on the orchid variety and its condition, engineers will have a special "flower-inducing" process so that after 140 or 170 days, the first flower bud will bloom.
Whether it's freezing cold or scorching hot, the temperature inside the greenhouse must be maintained at a stable level 24 hours a day through a central air conditioning system, and the light intensity must be appropriate.
"During the flowering stage, watering and fertilizing must follow a special procedure. But the exact mixing ratio is a 'secret' of the company, as it took many years of learning, research, and application to achieve the success we have today," engineer Tuan said.
Having also studied orchid gardening techniques in various countries, Nguyen Suong Mai, the head of the technical department, said that during its life cycle, each orchid plant must go through 4-5 "new homes," corresponding to each stage of development, to be moved into larger pots and fed more seaweed.
For orchids to thrive in a greenhouse, each plant must be watered with water filtered through an advanced RO system, the temperature must be kept stable, and even in the event of a power outage, the backup power system will activate instantly so that all machinery continues to function, just like a hospital's electrical system.
"Thanks to such modern techniques, we can control the number of days the flowers bloom, the number of blossoms per stem, the color of the flowers, etc., in order to meet market demand," Ms. Mai said.
We will export orchid seedlings.
Vietnam is a large market with a suitable climate for growing orchids, but it is 100% dependent on seedlings from Taiwan and China. To break this dependence, engineer Nguyen Van Kinh – chairman of Toan Cau Company – was determined to master the technology, starting with tissue culture and seedling production. However, he failed many times, incurring millions of dollars in "learning costs," due to a lack of understanding of orchid cultivation and the use of suboptimal technology.
"I failed many times, but I didn't give up. I poured all my money and career into this flower business," Mr. Kinh recounted, adding that he invested $4 million USD in tissue culture and flower cultivation technology from Taiwan.
This company has invested hundreds of billions of dong to build laboratories, orchid embryo culture areas, greenhouses meeting international standards, and import modern equipment such as central air conditioning systems, positive pressure systems, recirculating air filtration systems, and artificial lighting...
From the project's tissue culture facility, which adheres to the same rigorous standards as a vaccine production facility, millions of orchid seedlings of various types and colors are cultivated each year, serving both the project and supplying farmers and cooperatives in the region. Last year, Mr. Kinh officially launched the Phalaenopsis orchid varieties produced by his company onto the market, helping the Vietnamese orchid industry reduce its dependence on imported seedlings.
"If we don't have our own varieties, if we can't control them, the Vietnamese flower industry will never be able to rise," Mr. Kinh said.
With a production capacity of approximately 10 million seedlings per year, this company aims to capture 30% of the Phalaenopsis orchid seedling market in Vietnam and then export seedlings.
And to achieve its export goals, this company spent tens of millions of USD to acquire 40% of the shares of a flower production company in Taiwan, and at the same time invited five leading professors from Taiwan to Vietnam to establish a world-class laboratory solely for researching pesticides for orchids.
Affirming that the Truong Son forest is home to countless beautiful native orchid species, Mr. Kinh said that his company is investing heavily to create a "forest in the city," which is being designed by a French engineer, in order to create an environment for growing rare orchid species from the Truong Son mountain range.
"If we want Vietnam to be a destination for orchid buyers worldwide, the only way is to become self-sufficient in native orchid varieties, starting with the precious species of the Truong Son Mountains, and creating varieties that adapt to new living conditions," Mr. Kinh said.
Vietnam is a high-growth market for flowers.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Kinh, the world consumes approximately 800 million orchid plants annually, with an estimated value of 10 billion USD. Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing markets, with an annual growth rate of 70-100%.
During each Tet holiday, the Vietnamese market consumes approximately 12-15 million orchid plants. Therefore, with this high-tech orchid cultivation project, Mr. Kinh expects the business to earn 25-30 billion VND/hectare annually, with a profit margin of about 30%. For farmers, this profit margin could reach 50-70% if cultivation is successful.
Besides investing in flower cultivation, Mr. Kinh also invited international architects to design the farm space as a 5-star resort, along with a conference area, expert housing... and especially flower display and exhibition areas to welcome international delegations.
In addition, this company also sends many project personnel to study and learn in other countries each year to further enhance their professional skills.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/kham-pha-vuon-lan-tram-trieu-usd-giua-thu-do-20250111211342666.htm
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