Hung Yen (VNA) – The bustling atmosphere of preparations for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival has filled famous flower and ornamental plant villages in the northern province of Hung Yen in recent days, although it is only early December on the lunar calendar.
Long lines of vehicles weaving through the craft villages, along with the vibrant hues of flowers and plants, create a lively spring scene, heralding a prosperous and abundant Tet just around the corner.
Phung Cong commune, known as the “capital” of flowers and ornamental plants in the northern region, is already bustling with Tet preparations. Trucks line the roads carrying flowers to cities and provinces nationwide, while traders arrive weeks in advance to secure the best plants for the holiday market.
Ngo Xuan Truong from Hanoi, a regular visitor for nearly a decade, said Phung Cong’s wide variety of flowers and plants, from affordable to premium, makes it easy to choose. He adds that the commune’s skilled farmers and meticulous care give the plants a distinctive quality — strong, healthy, and beautifully shaped — keeping buyers coming back year after year.
Thuy Cam Co., Ltd. is one of the leading businesses in the commune, specialising in supplying flowers and ornamental plants, especially during the peak Tet season. Its Director Nguyen Thi Thuy said the firm has nearly 30 years of experience in flower cultivation and trade, with about 20 ha of growing area in Da Lat, Lam Dong province.
In addition, the company actively imports large volumes of flowers from China, offering a wide variety. This year, the Tet flower and ornamental plant market is bustling early, with the company selling two to three containers daily, equivalent to around 16,000 to 20,000 plants.
In 2021, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam granted the collective trademark “Phung Cong Flowers and Ornamental Plants,” officially recognising the commune’s signature horticultural brand. In 2025, the new Phung Cong commune was formed by merging Xuan Quan, Cuu Cao and the former Phung Cong, spanning over 14.6 sq.km, expanding the cultivation area and laying the groundwork for flower and ornamental plant cultivation to become a key economic driver for the locality.
The commune now boasts over 350 hectares devoted to flowers and ornamental plants, organised into two cooperatives and 10 cooperative groups. Local farmers have a long-standing tradition of growing high-value plants, and more than 80% of the area is equipped with greenhouses, shade nets, drip irrigation, and automated watering systems, helping to minimise weather-related risks while boosting productivity, quality, and product value.
Like Phung Cong, the Tet atmosphere has already approached Me So commune, with the golden-orange hues of tangerines and ornamental kumquats. This commune is one of Hung Yen’s key ornamental plant areas, covering around 530 ha, nearly 300 of which are devoted to kumquats.
In the gardens in the commune, kumquat and tangerine trees are heavy with fruit, their glossy green leaves and carefully shaped forms creating a scene that is both vibrant and elegant. The commune currently has eight OCOP-certified products, including three types of ornamental plants rated three stars.
In a tangerine garden of Truong Thi Tam in Sam Hong village, longstanding tangerine trees, shaped by the skilful hands and creativity of local farmers, display a variety of unique forms, many of which are inspired by the “spiritual animal” of the Year of the Horse.
Tam said her garden currently features more than 10 large tangerine trees, each priced at over 100 million VND (3,810 USD), with some fully shaped and impressive specimens selling for nearly 400 million VND. So far, her family has sold about half of their stock and expects to earn over 1 billion VND during the Lunar New Year 2026./.
Cultural, culinary tourism heightens Tet allure in Ho Chi Minh City
A notable new attraction is the Pho (rice noodle soup) Museum in Ben Thanh ward, which officially opened in mid-January. As the country’s first museum dedicated to culinary heritage, it is designed to preserve, develop and spread the values of Vietnamese cuisine to both domestic and international visitors.
