Spring blankets Toan Son commune in Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province, with a light pink hue from peach blossoms. For more than ten years, local people have learned planting techniques and created peach blossom bonsai trees from native varieties.
Hoang Minh Tham, a peach blossom grower in Truc Son village, Toan Son commune, planted 400 peach trees in his 3,000 square metre garden, and earns around 8,800 - 13,200 USD each year.
Meanwhile, Tran Hong Ha from Da Bac town collected old peach trees from local households and grew them in his garden in an attempt to maintain the native variety. He also transplanted some, to create different types of bonsai to attract customers.
Local authorities have enhanced communications activities to raise awareness among peach blossom growers about sustainable forest protection.
Not only serving as a decorative item during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, peach blossoms are now a local tourism product. Localities have asked growers to commit not to use chemicals in taking care of their trees, to protect the environment, and to develop the area under the planning of the agriculture sector.
Beautiful peach blossom bonsais are being sent around the country, bringing the Tet atmosphere of the northern mountains to other localities and contributing to ensuring a cosy Tet for the people of Hoa Binh./.
