Ripe persimmon season becomes an attractive tourism product

On the gentle slopes at the foot of Dai Hue Mountain (Dai Hue Commune, Nghe An Province), ancient rose gardens are in full bloom. Red and yellow persimmons hang heavy on the branches, dyeing the whole space brightly.

Women who "keep the fire" in the rose garden

In Dai Hue, women are often the ones most attached to the persimmon trees. They take care of the roots, prune the branches, fertilize, and when the fruit is ripe, they pick, soak, and process it themselves. In many families, the husband works far away or is busy with other jobs, so the whole persimmon garden depends on the wife's hands.

Ms. Bui Thi My Duyen (Hamlet 8, Nam Anh, Dai Hue Commune) said that she has been attached to persimmon trees since she was a child, and her mother has been attached to persimmon trees for more than 40 years. She said: "My family has 40 persimmon trees. Every year, we harvest 800kg to a ton of fruit, enough to cover the education costs for me and my siblings. Here, thanks to persimmon trees, people have more income, no longer having to worry about not having enough money like before."

Thanks to planting ancient rose trees, the lives of people in Dai Hue commune, Nghe An province, are stable.

The women of Dai Hue consider the persimmon as part of their flesh and blood. Someone likened the persimmon to "the proud daughter of the mountain", both beautiful and difficult to please. The young fruit falls in the rain, withers in the sun and drought, and breaks branches in storms and winds. However, with patience and love, they still cultivate the tree every day, keeping it greener and the fruit sweeter.

In Xuan Hong hamlet, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa raised two small children alone while her husband went to work abroad. During the day, she went to work at a company, and at night, she worked hard in the rose garden. "No matter how tired I am, I have to try. Looking at the red ripe fruits on the hillside, thinking about the time when I can sell them to buy books for my children, I feel happy" - she smiled, her calloused hands quickly tying bunches of roses.

During the harvest season, women here often go out in groups. Some climb trees to pick fruit, others wait below, some tie it, and some carry it on their backs. In the golden autumn sun, the crisp laughter drowns out the hardship. A quick meal in the rose forest - just a few simple dishes - is also filled with the warmth of sisterhood.

Ms. Duyen sorts and selects roses, puts them in boxes to send to customers.

Sweat after sweetness

Not only stopping at harvesting, Dai Hue women are the ones who preserve and enrich the value of persimmons. They are skillful in soaking and fermenting to produce batches of crispy persimmons, ripe red persimmons with fragrant aroma without chemicals. This stage requires perseverance and skillful hands - something that only women are meticulous enough to do well.

Ms. Ho Thi Ngu in Xuan Son hamlet confided: "Many days I stand soaking persimmons all day, my hands are cold and wrinkled, but the fruit must be soaked in enough water for it to be crispy and sweet. It's hard work, but earning honest money makes me feel warm."

Many women have boldly thought further: turning persimmons into tourism products. During the season when persimmons ripen, they open their gardens to welcome visitors, allowing them to experience picking and soaking persimmons, and then enjoying a home-cooked meal. Thanks to their quick thinking, many families have a significant additional source of income.

Ms. Dang Thi Tam, a woman who runs a homestay, shared: "The guests love coming here. They get to pick the fruit themselves and listen to us tell stories about their lives associated with the persimmon trees. Some people even say: 'It is the hands of Dai Hue women who keep the persimmon garden as beautiful as a painting.' Hearing that, I am both happy and proud."

The ancient rose garden in Dai Hue commune welcomes hundreds of visitors every day to check in and enjoy the scenery.

Ms. Ho Thi My - President of the Women's Union of Dai Hue Commune - affirmed: "Women here are not only the main force directly caring for and harvesting persimmons, but also skillful and creative in processing, promoting and bringing products to tourists. Our Women's Union always accompanies and supports women in clean production knowledge, building household economic models associated with eco-tourism. We hope that Dai Hue persimmons will not only be a source of income, but also become a source of pride, contributing to affirming the role of women in developing the homeland."

Thanks to that companionship, many women have become more confident in opening homestays, farmstays, and developing experiential services. They not only take care of their family's finances, but also become "ambassadors" promoting the image of their homeland to friends and tourists near and far.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/mua-hong-chin-thanh-san-pham-du-lich-hap-dan-20250924104323351.htm