Located by the Hau River, Lai Vung district is blessed with fertilie soil and abundant sources of fresh water, therefore it has much more favourable conditions for growing this variety of fruit tree than elsewhere.
When we visited the district during the harvest season, we saw mandarin trees laden with fruit along the road. The district has about 2,000ha for growing mandarin oranges, mainly in the communes of Vinh Thoi, Tan Phuoc, Tan Thanh and Long Hau, which provides employment for many households. Every year, the locality supplies more than 40,000tonnes of the fruit to different provinces and cities nationwide and is exported to some foreign countries. A kilogram of mandarins is at 20,000-30,000VND.
The fruit tree is also planted in other regions of the Cuu Long River delta, however, Lai Vung mandarins, especially red mandarins, are the juiciest and sweetest. The fruit is also called “tieu son” mandarins by the locals because of its beautiful shape, thin skin of an orangereddish colour and it keeps fresh for a long time under natural conditions.
Local mandarins are one of the most sought-after products during Tet because for Vietnamese people, red and pink are the colours that bring luck in the New Year.
At present, besides selling the fruit, the locals have joined hands with tourism companies to make farms of red mandarins become tourist destinations, luring a large number of both domestic and foreign tourists. This new tourist form brings a huge income for local farmers, improving their living standards. The district has 7 red mandarin farms for tourists to visit and learn how to plant the tree and pick the fruit. They include farmsLan Anh and Hai Kiet in Long Hau commune, Ut Tuong and Hong Van in Tan Thanh commune, Tu Rang in VinhThoi commune and Phuong Nghi in Tan Phuoc commune.
Harvest time is the best time of the year for visiting the farms. Here, tourists have a chance to join local farmers and traders to harvest and enjoy the fruit and take photos while listening to amateur southern singing. All will give tourists an unforgettable experience.
When we visited the district during the harvest season, we saw mandarin trees laden with fruit along the road. The district has about 2,000ha for growing mandarin oranges, mainly in the communes of Vinh Thoi, Tan Phuoc, Tan Thanh and Long Hau, which provides employment for many households. Every year, the locality supplies more than 40,000tonnes of the fruit to different provinces and cities nationwide and is exported to some foreign countries. A kilogram of mandarins is at 20,000-30,000VND.
 Lai Vung is considered the “capital” of mandarin oranges with a total area of 2,000ha of red mandarins. The locality annually provides more than 40,000tonnes for the market. Photo: Cong Dat  Thanks to preferable soil and weather condition, the fruit trees planted in Lai Vung give high-quality fruit. Photo: Cong Dat  Farmers have to climb to harvest red mandarins. Photo: Cong Dat  Hong, an owner of a 400m2 ha farm in Lai Vung, said that each year the region attracts about 45,000 guests who come to visit, learn about the business and buy the fruit. Photo: Cong Dat  The local mandarin is juicy and sweet.  Preventing branches laden with fruit from being broken. Photo: Cong Dat  Harvest time is the best time of the year for visiting the farms. Photo: Cong Dat  Mandarin trees laden with fruit. Photo: Kim Phuong  Harvesting mandarins. Photo: Kim Phuong  During the harvest, farms of mandarins in Lai Vung attract a large number of tourists and traders. Photo: Kim Phuong Lai Lai Vung has become a favourite destination of a large number of tourists. Photo: Cong Dat Packing the fruit for the market. Photo: Cong Dat Local mandarins are one of the most sought-after products during Tet. Photo: Cong Dat |
The fruit tree is also planted in other regions of the Cuu Long River delta, however, Lai Vung mandarins, especially red mandarins, are the juiciest and sweetest. The fruit is also called “tieu son” mandarins by the locals because of its beautiful shape, thin skin of an orangereddish colour and it keeps fresh for a long time under natural conditions.
| Admission tickets are 50,000VND/adult and 25,000VND/child. Time: 8a.m-5p.m |
At present, besides selling the fruit, the locals have joined hands with tourism companies to make farms of red mandarins become tourist destinations, luring a large number of both domestic and foreign tourists. This new tourist form brings a huge income for local farmers, improving their living standards. The district has 7 red mandarin farms for tourists to visit and learn how to plant the tree and pick the fruit. They include farmsLan Anh and Hai Kiet in Long Hau commune, Ut Tuong and Hong Van in Tan Thanh commune, Tu Rang in VinhThoi commune and Phuong Nghi in Tan Phuoc commune.
Harvest time is the best time of the year for visiting the farms. Here, tourists have a chance to join local farmers and traders to harvest and enjoy the fruit and take photos while listening to amateur southern singing. All will give tourists an unforgettable experience.
Story: Cong Dat - Photos: Kim Phuong
