Lai Vung is located about 17km from Sa Dec city (Dong Thap) and 180km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. This place has long been likened to the "pink mandarin kingdom" when there are hundreds of hectares of pink mandarin cultivation bearing fruit, concentrated in Long Hau, Tan Phuoc, Tan Thanh, Vinh Quoi and Hoa Long communes.
The pink tangerine season is also the coming Tet season. Currently, in Lai Vung there are 6 pink tangerine gardens open to welcome guests:
- Ba Lien mandarin garden, Long Hung 1 hamlet, Long Hau commune – area 2.3 ha
- Ut Hon mandarin garden, Long Hung 2 hamlet, Long Hau commune – area 0.4 ha
- Lan Anh mandarin garden, Long Thanh market, Long Hau commune – area 0.5 ha
- Hai Kiet tangerine garden, Thong Dong market, Long Hau commune – area 0.6 ha
- Hong Danh Mandarin Garden, Tan Loi hamlet, Tan Thanh commune – area 0.43 ha
- Hung Phat Mandarin Garden, Tan Thanh hamlet, Hoa Thanh commune – area of 1.7 ha
Located on the Hau River accreted by alluvium, fertile soil, favorable climate, pink mandarins in Lai Vung are very lush, thin-skinned, more delicious than other regions. At the beginning of the 11th lunar month of every year, mandarins begin to color but have not yet reached sugariness. Closer to the middle of December, the fruit turns a beautiful yellow-orange color, sweeter, more fragrant, can be harvested. A blue sky appeared before my eyes with about 1,500 tangerine trees. Thousands of large, evenly ripened, juicy mandarins are on the branches, making it difficult for visitors like me to take their eyes off. Pink tangerines have the peculiarity of beautiful spherical fruits, smooth and thin skin. When ripe, it has a sweet, slightly sour taste, lots of juice, and the juice is yellow-orange.
Around December 25, tangerines will be harvested. Therefore, visitors should visit early to admire the most impressive tangerine season. During the visit, visitors are not allowed to arbitrarily pick tangerines. Visitors can contact the garden staff to buy tangerines at a grade I price of about 50,000 VND/kg (1kg about 4.5 fruits).
The huts are where visitors can rest, enjoy pink tangerine juice or eat lunch. Visitors to the pink mandarin gardens in Lai Vung can wear ba shirts to immerse themselves in the impressive garden space of the West. Entrance tickets are usually 50,000 VND / adult and 30,000 VND / child from 5-12 years old. On weekends, the tangerine orchards in Lai Vung can welcome hundreds of visitors.
According to VNN
Photo: Vinh Bear and many authors