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In Vietnamese culture, peach blossoms symbolize spring and renewal. Their pink hue brightens the Tet (Lunar New Year) atmosphere, bringing warmth and ushering in a new beginning filled with faith, hope, and happiness for every family. According to folk beliefs and cultural records, peach blossoms are considered the essence of the five elements, associated with good fortune and peace in the new year.
This year, the warm weather has caused many peach blossoms to start blooming earlier than usual.
As Tet approaches, tourists are rushing to visit Tu Lien peach blossom garden to take photos.
Many people also believe that the vibrant blossoms of peach branches during Tet (Lunar New Year) create a balance of yin and yang, as a wish for peace, health, and success for all family members. This is why peach blossoms appear early on in the morning on streets, in flower markets, and in orchards, attracting thousands of people to admire and choose them.
Walking around peach orchards in Northern Vietnam, such as Tu Lien (Hanoi), one can easily sense the bustling atmosphere as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches. Growers meticulously care for each branch, selecting trees with well-proportioned canopies and abundant flower buds to deliver to customers who have placed orders for Tet. Peach blossoms are displayed as whole trees or cut branches, their characteristic pink color illuminating the entire garden under the year-end sun.
Growers are busy tending to peach and kumquat trees in the days leading up to Tet.
The peach branches are skillfully bent and shaped before being taken out of the garden.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, owner of a peach and kumquat orchard in Tu Lien (Hanoi), said that this year's erratic weather has caused the peach blossoms to bloom earlier than usual. "We have to proactively adjust irrigation and tree care to ensure the buds bloom at the right time, because if the flowers bloom too early, it will be difficult for customers to choose a satisfactory tree for Tet," Mr. Duc said.
Meanwhile, in the kumquat orchards, the trees laden with fruit, their glossy green leaves and golden yellow fruits attracting buyers. Trees with beautiful shapes and evenly distributed fruit are carefully examined by customers before they choose to take them home. The combination of colors and shapes creates a truly "Tet" (Vietnamese New Year) scene, an atmosphere filled with hope and wishes for good fortune.
The kumquat orchard is ablaze with golden hues, branches laden with fruit, waiting to be sold.
Buyers can choose peach and kumquat trees directly from the orchard.
Kumquat trees, with their beautiful golden fruits and vibrant green leaves, symbolize abundance and good fortune. Many fruits represent prosperity and a more prosperous new year. According to folk beliefs, the sound of "kumquat" is similar to the word for auspiciousness, making kumquat trees a popular choice for placement in homes during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) with the hope of bringing good luck and peace to the family.
Many families carefully select kumquat trees that have all four elements – yellow fruit, green fruit, white buds, and young leaves – seeing them as symbols of balance and abundance. Furthermore, hanging red envelopes on the kumquat tree is also a way to wish for a joyful and laughter-filled new year.
A deeply ingrained cultural symbol
Peach blossoms and kumquats are two indispensable plants during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, representing new beginnings, prosperity, and family reunion. While peach blossoms embody the pristine beauty of spring in Northern Vietnam, kumquats serve as lucky charms for the year ahead. Both are closely associated with the vibrant atmosphere of Tet throughout the country, from flower markets to every home decorated to welcome the spring.
The artisans who cultivate peach and kumquat trees meticulously care for them throughout the year to supply the Tet market. Shaping, pruning, bud-inducing, and maintaining the tree's vitality is an art form passed down through generations. This dedication is what creates the beautiful and meaningful peach and kumquat trees that thousands of families choose to display every Tet holiday.
The atmosphere in the peach and kumquat orchards gradually becomes more lively, creating a familiar scene of the approaching spring. Under the careful hands of the growers and the eagerness of the buyers, the peach trees gradually begin to bud, and the kumquat trees burst into color, signaling the arrival of a prosperous and peaceful new year.
