Harvesting water lilies during the flood season.

The flood season in the Mekong Delta usually begins from August to November each year. During this time, water from the upper reaches of the Mekong River pours down, inundating the rice fields, making it impossible to see the banks. The floodwaters bring with them fertile silt, enriching the fields, and producing seasonal produce such as snakehead fish, water hyacinth, sedge, water chives, water lilies... and other "famous" flowers and vegetables of the Mekong Delta cuisine , used to prepare many delicious traditional dishes. The flood season is one of the most poetic and unique natural landscapes in the Mekong Delta. This is also the season when water lilies bloom profusely throughout the waterways of Long An province.

Harvesting water lilies during the flood season. Photo: Vietnam.vn

Water lilies are the most popular "specialty" vegetable in the Mekong Delta, growing wild everywhere from rivers and canals to rice fields and wetlands. In some places, people cultivate water lilies for vegetable harvesting, but most of them grow and develop wild. During the flood season, the vast fields of An Giang , Dong Thap, Long An, etc., are covered with water lilies of various colors: purple, white, and pink. People in the countryside are familiar with the waterlogged fields (formerly harvested rice paddies) full of water lilies. Among the large, vibrant purple flowers are the smaller, white and pink "ghost water lilies." During the dry season, the roots of these "ghost water lilies" hide deep underground, "sleeping" until the floodwaters return. Water lilies usually bloom and display their vibrant colors in the morning, closing their petals after noon. Some varieties bloom at night. These "ghost water lilies" often rise with the rising water, their stems sometimes reaching several meters in length. In the Mekong Delta, mostly women, people often wake up at dawn to paddle out to the fields to pick water lilies to sell at the market or prepare dishes such as water lily salad, sour soup, fish sauce hotpot, or thinly sliced ​​and eaten raw with various vegetables dipped in fermented fish sauce. The long, slender, juicy, crisp, and slightly crunchy stems of the water lily are a hit in any dish. Water lilies are indispensable in hotpots or sour soups in the countryside. Stir-fried water lily calyxes with garlic are also very delicious.

Women standing next to boats laden with water lilies. Photo: Vietnam.vn

Visiting Moc Hoa, Long An during the flood season, from September to December, it's easy to spot farmers rowing boats to harvest water lilies, a "specialty" vegetable that grows wild everywhere, from rivers and canals to rice fields and low-lying ponds. During the flood season, water lilies bloom profusely. At this time, locals are busy harvesting the flowers to sell for their stems or to fill boats with them, attracting tourists to visit and experience the activity.

Water lily season in Moc Hoa, Long An. Photo: Vietnam.vn

In Moc Hoa, Long An, cultivated water lilies have thick stems, large flowers, and a length of 1.5 to 2 meters. Wild water lilies (also known as ghost water lilies) have thinner stems, measuring 3 to 6 meters in length, and are soft but resilient. As the water level rises, so do the water lilies. Floodwaters blanket the fields in the upstream areas of Long An province, marking the time when farmers harvest water lilies to supplement their income. In the Mekong Delta, mostly women, people often wake up at dawn to paddle their boats to the fields to pick water lilies to sell at the market. During the flood season, along the provincial roads through Hong Nguy (Dong Thap) or Moc Hoa (Long An), you can easily find people selling fresh water lilies just harvested from the fields, still smelling of mud. The price of one kilogram of water lilies is about 10,000 VND. Interestingly, visitors can admire the beautiful water lily fields during the flood season while also joining the village girls in scooping/pulling water lilies onto boats, or jumping into the water with them to sort and wash the freshly picked bunches. Water lilies only bloom beautifully for a few days before wilting, "making way" for the buds that will bloom one after another throughout the season until the water in the fields gradually recedes. The water lily buds/roots then "go dormant," only waking up in the next flood season, giving way to farmers to plow, sow, and plant the new rice crop. In recent years, Moc Hoa has become a destination attracting photographers to create their works and tourists to participate in colorful "water lily tours." Visitors sit in motorboats or rowboats with village girls wearing conical hats, checkered scarves, and traditional Vietnamese blouses to explore the vast water lily fields or patches of water lilies growing among the melaleuca forests, showcasing their beauty in the green canals reflecting the clouds and sky.

Diem Giang