Pink tangerines from Dong Thap are in season to welcome visitors.

The capital of pink tangerine cultivation in Dong Thap province is concentrated in three communes: Hoa Long, Lai Vung, and Phong Hoa, covering an area of ​​over 220 hectares. Each year, these tangerine orchards in Dong Thap generate high income from selling the fruit to people for display during the Lunar New Year. Recently, with their eye-catching golden-yellow color when ripe, the tangerines have been transformed into tourist attractions by Dong Thap farmers before Tet (Lunar New Year).

The Hai Kiet pink tangerine garden (Hoa Long commune, Dong Thap province) is open to visitors for sightseeing and photography. Photo: Nhut An/TTXVN

Upon visiting the Cuong Thinh pink tangerine orchard in Hoa Long commune, Dong Thap province, visitors will be greeted by boat at the entrance, a first highlight for tourists. Each guest will then be treated by the orchard owner to a glass of pink tangerine juice along with the orchard's signature fruit: pink tangerines.

Mr. Pham Phu Cuong, owner of Cuong Thinh pink tangerine orchard, shared that he cultivates pink tangerines out of passion for the tree. For over 30 years, inheriting the tradition from his grandparents, tangerine cultivation has become a vital source of livelihood for his family. However, in previous years, his family mainly grew tangerines for sale during the Lunar New Year. This year, with a suggestion from the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Hoa Long commune, Mr. Pham Phu Cuong decided to invest in developing the orchard into a tourist destination, welcoming visitors before Tet (Lunar New Year), when the pink tangerines begin to ripen, changing color from green to pink, then to a vibrant yellow.

Mr. Pham Phu Cuong shared that this is the first year he has opened his orchard to visitors after decades of only growing tangerines for the Tet (Lunar New Year) market. To prepare for this new direction, Mr. Cuong invested over 550 million VND in infrastructure, landscaping, parking lots, and rest areas for food and drinks. Each visitor will be a practical communication channel to promote the image of Lai Vung pink tangerines to everyone. Although it has only been open for 3 weeks, several hundred visitors have already come to visit. The entrance fee is 60,000 VND for adults and 30,000 VND for children. 2025 is a leap year, so the pink tangerines ripen early, allowing orchard owners to welcome visitors a month earlier than usual. Alongside developing tourism, Mr. Cuong still reserves a certain amount of tangerines for distribution to Tet markets. With an area of ​​10 hectares, he expects to harvest about 30 tons.

Tourists visit and experience rowing boats at Ba Chuot Pink Mandarin Garden (Lai Vung commune, Dong Thap province). Photo: Nhut An/TTXVN.

Opening his tangerine orchard to tourists before the Lunar New Year, Mr. Tran Ba ​​Chuot, owner of the Ba Chuot tangerine orchard in Lai Vung commune, shared that his orchard has been open to visitors for six years. With his experience in farming, Mr. Tran Ba ​​Chuot also utilizes the irrigation ditches to grow gourds, pumpkins, and squash. Visitors can enjoy a peaceful atmosphere, immerse themselves in the small garden full of fruit-laden branches, and pick fresh fruit hanging from the vines. The orchard not only has pink tangerines but also many other fruits: sweet tangerines, gourds, pumpkins, and loofahs…

Upon entering the tangerine orchard, visitors are free to explore. If visitors wish to take a boat tour, they can purchase tickets for 20,000 VND per adult and 10,000 VND per child, with assistance from staff. During the boat trip, visitors can admire the pink tangerines and other fruit trees, and may even pick and purchase some of the fruit to take home, Mr. Tran Ba ​​Chuot further shared.

As a first-time visitor to the pink tangerine orchards in Dong Thap, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom from Phu Tho commune, Dong Thap, shared that the first thing that caught her eye upon entering the orchard was the tangerine trees laden with large, juicy fruits. Some trees still retained their green fruit, while others had fruits gradually turning pink. She also took photos next to the trees with their abundant, eye-catching fruit to share with friends and family, hoping they could arrange a trip to visit the pink tangerine orchards in Dong Thap.

Assessing the tourism potential combined with the economy of pink tangerine orchards, Ms. Pham Thi Hoai, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Hoa Long commune, said that after the implementation of the two-tiered local government system, most of the pink tangerine orchards of the former Lai Vung district are concentrated in Hoa Long commune. The pink tangerine orchards in Hoa Long commune have made a beautiful impression on domestic and international tourists, showcasing the people and homeland of the former Lai Vung. The pink tangerine orchards have created a stable livelihood for the people each year, especially during the Lunar New Year. Since ecotourism and agricultural tourism have been integrated into economic development activities, creating a double economic effect in rural areas, tourism activities have generated significant economic benefits, increasing the value of citrus fruits, especially pink tangerines and other characteristic products.

The Hai Kiet mandarin orange orchard (Hoa Long commune, Dong Thap province) covers 5,000 square meters and is laden with ripe, golden-yellow fruit. Photo: Nhut An/TTXVN

For many years, while primarily focusing on caring for the trees and producing high-quality fruit with attractive pink and yellow colors, the pink tangerine tourist attractions in Dong Thap have still lacked landscaping, decoration, and the creation of photo-taking spots for visitors.

This year, many orchards have undergone significant changes, investing in upgrading the appearance of each location. Many have enhanced landscaping, improved internal roads, built standard waiting areas and restrooms; and added diverse experiential services such as: grafting and budding of mandarin trees, farming, boating, fishing, making mandarin jam, and even learning how to brew mandarin wine.

According to Mr. Le Minh Chanh, Vice Chairman of the Hoa Long Commune People's Committee, the locality has over 96 hectares of pink tangerines, most of which are cultivated using organic farming methods under the pink tangerine conservation project, resulting in very good development. Some pink tangerine growers with convenient transportation have invested in opening tourist attractions, allowing visitors to tour, experience, take photos, and enjoy food and drinks. This model helps promote the image of pink tangerines to more people and also brings attractive additional income to local people.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/quyt-hong-dong-thap-vao-mua-don-khach-20251215141129598.htm