Restoring the lotus flowers of West Lake.

Hanoi – From the beginning of March, 16 households in Tay Ho district will be provided with seeds and technical guidance on caring for, harvesting, and preserving West Lake lotus, a variety with up to 100 petals.

Faced with the reality of shrinking lotus cultivation areas, the Tay Ho District People's Committee invited experts from the Central Research Institute of Vegetables and Fruits and the Hanoi Agricultural Extension Center to collaborate on the project "Building a model for lotus production linked to ecotourism development along the value chain in Tay Ho - Hanoi". The project will be implemented from February 17th to November 15th.

Local households will be guided in applying advanced techniques in seed selection, cultivation, harvesting, and preservation; and will build a model for high-quality lotus production with products such as flowers for tea flavoring, flowers for decoration, and seeds for food, linked to tourism development. Some lakes selected for pilot lotus cultivation include Dau Dong and Thuy Su (Quang An ward) and Lotus Pond 1 and Lotus Pond 2 (Nhat Tan ward).

Harvesting lotus flowers from West Lake, grown near the water park. Photo: Ngoc Thanh — Harvesting lotus flowers from West Lake, grown near the water park. Photo: *Ngoc Thanh*

According to Nguyen Dinh Khuyen, Chairman of the Tay Ho District People's Committee, the district has 18 small lakes surrounding West Lake, of which about 20.5 hectares of water surface area are suitable for lotus cultivation. In 2024, Tay Ho district will pilot lotus cultivation on 7.5 hectares, and the remaining 13 hectares will be implemented in subsequent years as some lakes are undergoing renovation.

In early March, households will begin sowing the seeds, transplanting them into the ponds in April so that lotus flowers will bloom in June. Mr. Khuyen assessed that growing lotus does not yield high economic returns and requires a lot of effort to produce valuable products, so he hopes that households will be truly enthusiastic and passionate about the profession.

The West Lake lotus has been recognized as intellectual property. This is a special type of lotus with 100 petals, found nowhere else. "The district has long cherished the idea of organizing a lotus festival but has not been able to implement it due to various factors. In 2024, the district is determined to organize the first lotus festival to promote the West Lake lotus," said the Chairman of Tay Ho District.

West Lake lotus tea is considered the epitome of Vietnamese tea and is increasingly valuable economically. Photo: Ngoc Thanh — West Lake lotus tea is considered the epitome of Vietnamese tea and is increasingly valuable economically. Photo: *Ngoc Thanh*

According to Ms. Vu Thi Huong, Director of the Hanoi Agricultural Extension Center, restoring lotus cultivation in West Lake is a desire and a commitment of all parties involved. If the pilot project is successful, the center will propose expanding the model for the following year.

West Lake lotus, also known as Hundred-Petal lotus, is grown in small ponds around West Lake. Its easily recognizable features include double petals, a pink color, a long-lasting fragrance, and large, plump lotus seeds. This variety is often used to infuse tea.

Vo Hai

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