80-year-old Cao Loi, an experienced flower grower inThai Phien Village. New varieties of flowers are grown in Thai Phien Village. The children in Thai Phien Village. Some varieties of beautiful flowers in Thai Phien Village. Every two years, Da Lat City in Lam Dong Province organizes the Flower Festival to highlight the existing forte of this highland city. Flowers are closely connected with the life of the local people and have become their spiritual symbol, making the city second to none in Vietnam. History of floriculture In 1898, an agricultural station and a meteorological station (present-day Da Lat Vegetable and Flower Experiment Centre) were established in an area named Dang Kia. The French brought flower varieties from their country to Da Lat and grew in the gardens around villas. In 1928 Nguyen Thai Hien’s family researched and experimentally grew some flower varieties, such as glaieul, oeillet, marguerite, gerbera, lys, arum, hortensia, mimosa and dahlia in their garden. In 1935 he had Mai anh dao plants (Prunpus Cesacoides) grown along a sloping road from Ong Dao Bridge to Da Lat market (present-day Hoa Binh area) and near the road running from the market to Eden Cinema House (now Ngoc Lan Hotel on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street). Other new varieties were also cultivated in Da Lat, diversifying the floral collections in this area. Now Da Lat has more than 400 species of flowers with thousands of local varieties and other varieties coming from Asia (China, Japan, India and Thailand…), Europe (France and the Netherlands), America, Africa and Oceania. An overwhelming majority of the flowers belong to orchid and chrysanthemum families. In 1995, the farmers in Da Lat carried out the model of growing flowers in plastic roofed houses to avoid wild grass and worms. For imported daisies which need a longer daylight cycle, Da Lat farmers use a system of compact lamps to boost the growth of flowers. They also use dribble irrigation systems similar to that used in Israel. Thai Phien flower village We visited the traditional floricultural village of Thai Phien which is called “flower valley” by the local people, in the north-western area of Da Lat City. The whole village has more than 500 households who have engaged in growing flowers, accounting for 90% of its population. Out of the 400 ha of the village area, 250ha have been allocated for floriculture. Cao Loi, a nearly-80-year-old farmer said: “The floriculture in Thai Phien Village has existed for a long time and has flourished since the 1960s when the villagers shifted from growing colza to growing flowers”. Flowers in Thai Phien Village are diverse but mainly daisies and lys, a new variety imported from the Netherlands . Thai Phien flowers are delivered to all parts of the country and consumed in the greatest quantity by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City . Le Thi Hanh, 31 years old, a former vegetable seller who has shifted to floriculture for two years due to its high efficiency and stability, said: “Floriculture in Da Lat has prospered thanks to the high demand of the city dwellers who lead an affluent life”. The daisy garden of Le Thi Hanh’s family in Thai Phien Village. Cao Quang Hung in Thai Phien Village owns a 1ha plot specializing in growing high-grade flowers, including lys variety. He expects to receive assistance from experts to create new flower varieties, which have a high yield and insect-resistant ability and are more beautiful, and make Da Lat spontaneous consumption market become professional and stable. Up to 90% of the members of Da Lat Flower Association say that they need markets for their products as well as new farming techniques and varieties. Many greenhouses are built to grow flowers in Thai Phien Village. Da Lat City is situated at an altitude from 800m (Ta Nung Commune) to 1,763m (Nao Klan Mountain) between 11048’36” and 12001’07” north latitude and 108019’23” and 108036’27” east longitude. It has an average temperature of 170C, with -0.60C at the lowest and 29.80C at the highest. Although lying in an Asian monsoon area, it has the mountainous climate, suitable for the development of tropical, subtropical and temperate flowers. Story by Huu Thanh - Photos by Kim Son, Huu Thanh