The season of mulberries on Mount Cam

In May, the mulberries on Mount Cam are in full bloom, offering a new experience for tourists during the summer.

Mount Cam, also known as Thien Cam Son, located in An Hao commune, Tinh Bien town, is one of the seven mountains of the That Son range. In May, when the mulberry orchards on the mountain ripen to a vibrant golden color, Mount Cam becomes an attractive destination for tourists who love nature and fruit trees.

Duong Viet Anh, a tour guide in An Giang, said that many people choose trekking trips to enjoy the green spaces and sample the region's "specialty" fruits.

Baccaurea sapida, also known as the ground mulberry, is a woody plant that grows to a maximum height of about 20 meters and a minimum of 5 meters. Its fruit grows on the trunk and some large branches, turning red or yellow when ripe.

The mulberry trees grown in the Cam Mountain region are well-suited to the soil conditions, resulting in fewer pests and diseases. Growers only need to apply organic fertilizer once a year. Two weeks before the fruit begins to ripen, the trees are watered to help the fruit ripen evenly and become sweeter.

In An Giang province, besides Mount Cam, mulberry trees are also grown extensively on other mountains in the Bay Nui region, most notably in Tinh Bien and Tri Ton.

According to the tour guide, the mulberry tree has a rather brittle trunk, so visitors should not climb it when picking fruit as the branches are weak and easily broken. For clusters of fruit that are out of reach, a pole should be used for harvesting, with someone standing below to catch them.

The mulberry fruit is round, with a bright yellow skin that clings tightly to the trunk when ripe. In many places, ripe and unripe fruits are mixed together, so people must be careful when picking them to avoid knocking over the unripe fruits nearby. A well-developed mulberry tree can yield hundreds of kilograms of fruit each season.

A cluster of mulberries usually has dozens of fruits growing close together. Peeling off the outer skin reveals the translucent, juicy flesh inside. According to orchard owners, mulberries have a refreshing sour taste; visitors should choose large, ripe yellow fruits for a sweeter flavor.

At Nui Cam, mulberries are grown interspersed under the forest canopy, with the harvest season lasting from May to mid-June. Tourists can visit the orchards on organized tours or ask permission from the owners to visit and pick the fruit. The price of mulberries ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 VND per kilogram.

The photo shows a group of tourists in Long Xuyen, renting costumes and choosing mulberry trees laden with fruit in the garden to pose for pictures.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Nghia, a resident of An Giang, said that during her first experience picking mulberries on Mount Cam, she and her friend wore traditional Vietnamese blouses and arrived early when the garden was empty to take photos.

"The scenery is beautiful, with clusters of golden strawberries," Thu Nghia said.

Mount Cam, located about 70 km from Long Xuyen city, is known as the "Da Lat of the Mekong Delta". Visitors can take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Chau Doc, then rent a motorbike to continue their journey. Those who enjoy exploring can choose to trek through the fields, winding through rows of palm trees and fruit orchards such as rambutan, rose apple, and mango, or take a motorbike taxi or cable car to the mountain.
Viet Anh suggests renting a homestay near Mount Cam for rest and convenient photo opportunities the following morning. Alternatively, visitors can opt for a two-day, one-night itinerary to stay overnight, watch the sunrise, and chase the clouds from the mountaintop.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/mua-dau-da-tren-nui-cam-411351.html