Located just 30km north of the capital, the area is a new flower hub offering fresh flowers for Hanoi and northern provinces.

Though it does not have long history like Ngoc Ha and Nhat Tan villages, Me Linh district now hosts more than 200ha of flower fields.

A farmer harvests chrysanthemums in his field.

Flower fields featuring violet, gladiolus, mimosa, rose, daisy and lily have brought new colours for villages in Thanh Lam, Dai Thinh and Van Khe communes, where ithe roads have been cemented and bigger and more beautiful houses have been built. Many people have also bought cars and modern technology.

Few people would know that Me Linh was formed accidentally nearly 20 years ago, when Nguyen Van Loi, a student from the National Economics University, brought a Da Lat rose from a birthday party home to Me Linh district, which was then part of the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

At that time, such a rose was a rare and luxury item found on postcards only, Loi recalled.

The mixed rose plant grew well, to Loi’s surprise. He then spread the plant across his field with his older brother Nguyen Van Quy.

The first crop brought his family enough money to ease the loss of the family fish pond.

The family then grew more bumper flower crops, which inspired more households in the area to ask for help grafting plants, selecting genres and care techniques.

Gradually, flowers spread across the district, which now supplies flowers for northern provinces like Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Ha Giang and even exports overseas.

Unlike planting rice and vegetables, farmers can plant flowers year-round.

Early in the morning and around 4pm in the afternoon, the fields are full of farmers busy cutting and caring for flowers. Bikes and cars driven by wholesalers flock to the fields to buy flowers at the same time.

The area is a new flower hub offering fresh flowers for Hanoi and northern provinces.

Not only wholesalers, domestic and foreign tourists also visit to enjoy the immense flower fields. Le Thanh Mai, a student from Hanoi, said she liked the flower market as there were many kinds of flowers on all corners of the rural roads.

According to local farmers, the best time to visit Me Linh is between the 12th lunar month and the third lunar month of the new year, when many kinds of flowers come to full bloom to prepare for Tet (lunar New Year).

Me Linh was the residential area of generals during the Hung King’s era in early history. The fertile land used to be an economic and cultural exchange centre between mountainous, mid-land and neighbouring areas of Thang Long Citadel.

Like other historical locations in the country, Me Linh district now hosts various historical sites including communal houses, temples and archaeological sites.

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Source: VNA