Kumquat and apricot blossoms from the flooded areas, shedding their mud, travel hundreds of kilometers to bloom amidst the landscapes of Buon Ma Thuot.

TPO - Overcoming historic storms and floods, potted kumquat and apricot blossom trees followed farmers across mountain passes to the city of Buon Ma Thuot. In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the vibrant colors of spring burst forth as a reward for their unwavering journey in the face of natural disasters.

Kumquat trees from the flood-affected areas of Phu Yen (formerly) – now the eastern part of Dak Lak province – travel over 200 kilometers to reach the spring flower market in Buon Ma Thuot.

In the days leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year, the spring flower market in Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak province) became more bustling than usual. Amidst the crowds of Tet shoppers, the sight of trucks loaded with kumquats and apricot blossoms from flood-affected areas arriving in the mountain town attracted much attention.

Early in the morning, after bringing his truck to the spring flower festival, Mr. Tran Ngoc Thien (Binh Kien ward, Dak Lak province) meticulously adjusted each branch and wiped away the mud clinging to the kumquat trees in pots. The more than 200km of winding mountain roads was not only a journey to transport the trees, but also a trip carrying the hope of a prosperous Tet holiday after months of battling natural disasters.

These kumquat trees belonging to Mr. Tran Ngoc Thien's family are on display at the Buon Ma Thuot spring flower market.

Mr. Thien's family has been involved in growing kumquat trees for Tet (Lunar New Year) for over 20 years. Each year, they cultivate about 300 kumquat trees to supply the market. However, this year, prolonged heavy rains and floods caused 200 trees planted in low-lying areas to be submerged and severely damaged. When the water receded, he and his relatives practically "ate and slept in the garden," devoting all their efforts to saving the remaining trees.

"Even on cold days, the whole family would go out to the garden from early morning until late at night to take care of the plants, fertilize them, and water them, hoping they would recover and bear fruit in time for Tet," Thien recounted.

Thanks to the diligence of Mr. Thien's family, 78 kumquat trees recovered and bore fruit just in time for Tet. For the first time, instead of waiting for traders to come to the garden to buy them as in previous years, he decided to transport the kumquats to Buon Ma Thuot himself to sell directly.

The kumquat trees are being sold for between 700,000 and 2 million VND per tree, making them affordable for many families. Mr. Thien said he only hopes to sell them all quickly so he can return home in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with his family.

The kumquat branches "revived" after the storms and floods, laden with fruit to welcome spring.

Next to it, the vibrant yellow apricot blossom trees belonging to Mr. Truong Van Hung's family (An Nhon Bac ward, Gia Lai province (formerly Binh Dinh province)) also attracted many onlookers. To make it to the spring flower market on time, Mr. Hung and his relatives had to travel over 300km in nearly 10 hours to bring 150 apricot blossom trees that "survived" the flood to the mountain town.

Mr. Hung said that this year his family planted about 1,000 apricot blossom trees. However, the historic floods damaged more than 500 trees, and the roof of their house was also blown off. After the natural disaster, the whole family didn't have time to rest but focused all their efforts on caring for the remaining apricot blossom trees, but only 150 trees managed to bud and bloom in time for Tet.

Mr. Truong Van Hung's yellow apricot blossoms traveled over 300 kilometers to the Buon Ma Thuot spring flower market to serve customers.

“In previous years, traders came directly to the garden to buy apricot blossoms. This year, the damage is severe, so they don't come anymore, and my family has to sell the blossoms ourselves. We just hope to sell as many as we can to recoup our expenses and have money for Tet,” Mr. Hung shared.

Thanks to careful nurturing, the apricot blossom trees, after the flood, are still blooming brilliantly, their branches laden with buds. Under the spring sunshine, their shimmering golden color attracts many people in Buon Ma Thuot who stop to admire them and inquire about prices. Apricot blossom trees are sold at prices ranging from 1.5 to 30 million VND per pot, depending on their shape and size.

The yellow apricot blossoms are beginning to bloom, radiating the vibrant colors of spring.

According to Mr. Huynh Tan Loi (residing in Quang Phu commune, Dak Lak province), a trader who has been selling ornamental plants for Tet for many years, this year's natural disasters have caused heavy damage to many kumquat orchards, especially in the eastern part of Dak Lak province (formerly Phu Yen province).

According to Mr. Loi, the percentage of kumquat trees meeting the standards for Tet sales is only about 30% compared to previous years, causing the price of kumquats to increase slightly. After several days of surveying, he chose to buy 200 kumquat trees in pots, ranging from 2.2 to 2.5 meters tall, to serve the Tet market.

Mr. Huynh Tan Loi selected the most beautiful kumquat trees from the flood-prone areas of Phu Yen (formerly) to sell during Tet.

These kumquat trees, having survived fierce storms and floods, revived and laden with fruit, serve as a testament to the resilient and indomitable spirit of the people of Phu Yen.

Amidst the bustling atmosphere of the spring flower market, pots of kumquats and apricot blossoms, their leaves washed away by the floodwaters, quietly bloom in the mountain town. These are not just the products of a harvest season, but also a testament to the resilience of the farmers – those who rise after natural disasters, preserving the beauty of spring for posterity.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/quat-mai-vung-lu-ru-bun-vuot-hang-tram-cay-so-bung-no-giua-dat-troi-buon-ma-thuot-post1820107.tpo