Adding Value to the Flower and Ornamental Plant Industry

(DTO) The festive atmosphere of the 2nd Sa Dec Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival 2025 has filled the streets of Sa Dec, Dong Thap Province over the past few days. The opening ceremony and the welcoming art program will take place at 8:00 PM on December 27 at Sa Dec Square.

Through mass media and social networks, people from within and beyond the province are eagerly anticipating the event, looking forward to admiring thousands of flowers in full bloom under the gentle golden sunshine and the slightly chilly air of winter days.

Residents of Sa Dec in particular, and Dong Thap Province in general, take great pride in this transformation. In the past, when people spoke of flowers, they often thought of Da Lat. Today, however, the watery plains of the Mekong Delta are also home to a flourishing flower capital, where thousands of varieties of flowers and ornamental plants bloom year-round.

Dong Thap Province currently has around 1,400 hectares under flower and ornamental plant cultivation, concentrated in Sa Dec, Lap Vo, Lai Vung, Tan Duong and My Phong. Sa Dec Ward alone-widely regarded as the flower capital of the Mekong Delta-has about 4,000 households engaged in flower and ornamental plant production. With nearly 2,000 varieties grown on close to 1,000 hectares, the area produces more than 12 million flower and ornamental products each year to supply regional markets.

Sa Dec Flower Village traces its origins back to the late 19th century, when a few families in Tan Quy Dong Village began growing flowers for Lunar New Year decorations. Benefiting from fertile soil, the village expanded rapidly in the early 20th century, gradually emerging as the flower hub of the Mekong Delta.

Flower appreciation is a spiritual pursuit that has existed for centuries. Admiring flowers brings positive emotions and renewed energy, fosters a connection with nature and people, helps relieve stress after long working hours, and offers moments of joy, relaxation and inner peace.

Flower appreciation reflects the refinement of the human spirit. 

Amid the hustle and bustle of urban life, pausing to admire flowers allows people to regain balance and feel the breath of nature. It is not merely about looking at flowers, but about perceiving beauty through form, color and arrangement, thereby nurturing aesthetic sensibilities.

Those who love flowers do not feel them only with their eyes, but with their hearts. Appreciating flowers expresses harmony with nature, inner delicacy and the sharing of affection.

Flowers are not just decorative objects; they carry memories, evoke tranquility, inspire creativity and nourish the human soul-an experience that goes far beyond material value alone.

In Vietnamese culture, flowers are closely associated with almost every custom and ritual, from weddings, memorial ceremonies and birthday milestones to festivals and Lunar New Year celebrations. 

Flowers are also meaningful gifts exchanged on occasions such as business openings, birthdays and other joyful events.

As living standards continue to improve, the demand for flower appreciation grows increasingly sophisticated. Therefore, research into breeding, propagation and the introduction of new flower varieties to meet market demand is essential to enhancing the value of the flower and ornamental plant industry.

Organizing the Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival is also a new and important direction, one that should be continuously elevated with richer and more diverse activities, aiming to attract tourism and promote local economic development.

Clearly, flowers hold not only immense spiritual value but also significant economic worth, providing stable and prosperous livelihoods for growers. 

In recent years, living standards in Sa Dec Flower Village have steadily improved thanks to income from flower cultivation and trade.

The people of Sa Dec, and Dong Thap Province as a whole, have fulfilled their historical mission by constantly breeding new varieties and applying advances in science and technology. From just a handful of initial flower types, the region now boasts thousands of flower and ornamental plant varieties thriving in a part of the Mekong Delta that was not traditionally considered ideal for large-scale flower production.

They have succeeded. However, to further create added value for the flower and ornamental plant industry and generate higher incomes for growers, the State must play a leading role.

By NGUYEN CHUONG
Translated by XUAN QUANG