The Lai Vung persimmon tangerine garden, laden with ripe branches, has been open to welcome visitors since mid-November of the lunar calendar (early December 2023) until now.
During the weekend of January 20 and 21, thousands of tourists flocked to Dong Thap province to visit the ripening Lai Vung tangerine garden. Along provincial road DT851 to Long Hau, Tan Thanh, Hoa Thanh and Vinh Thoi communes (Lai Vung district), there are about 10 pink tangerine gardens welcoming tourists.
The gardener sets aside 4-6 rows of beautifully ripe, fruity tangerines for tourists to visit and take photos. The area for customers to pick their own fruit has 2-3 rows. Another part of the garden is waiting to be sold to traders. This year, gardeners invested in more landscaping, pruning beautiful tangerine gardens for tourists to take photos. Ticket price is 50,000 VND/adult, tangerine price is from 50,000 VND – 80,000 VND/kg.
Mr. Doan Van Kiet – owner of Hai Kiet tangerine garden (Long Hau commune) – said that from the middle of the tenth lunar month until now, the attraction has welcomed over 4,100 visitors. There are many visitors on weekends.
“During the two weekends leading up to Tet, the number of visitors increased, estimated at about 2,000. The tangerine garden has an area of 5,000 square meters , an estimated output of 5 tons, and currently the price of tangerines sold at the garden is 50,000 VND/kg for customers to choose,” Mr. Kiet said. .
And Mr. Nguyen Van Tho – owner of Van Tanh tangerine garden (Vinh Thoi commune) – said this is the second year the garden has opened to welcome customers. Therefore, there is more careful preparation, decorating the garden with additional miniatures to serve tourists.
“Doing tourism increases income by about 50% compared to just selling fruit. Tangerines retailed at the garden to tourists get a higher price than selling to traders, plus additional income from ticket sales and catering services.” “, Mr. Tho said.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Loan, living in Hoa Long commune, Lai Vung district, said that every year she and her friends come to visit tangerine gardens. This year the gardeners took more care, the fruit ripened evenly and beautifully.
“As a local person, I see that this year there are more visitors. Not only on the convenient main roads, but also tangerine gardens located on inter-commune roads such as Van Tanh garden, many tourists still come to visit because the trees are tall and have good fruit. Take eye-catching photos,” Ms. Loan said.
($1~24,000 VND)