As Tet (the Lunar New Year) approaches, the rare sight of pink-orange mandarins of Lai Vung glowing in pots has become one of Dong Thap Province’s most coveted Tet ornaments, with Lai Vung growers struggling to meet surging demand despite high prices and limited supply.
Each year, when the northeast monsoon sweeps across the Mekong Delta, the famed Lai Vung orchards of pink-orange mandarins ripen into a sea of warm hues. Among the season’s ornamental plants, potted pink tangerines stand out as a luxury item, prized not only for their appearance but also for their symbolism of wealth and good fortune.
Unlike trees cultivated directly in the ground, raising pink-orange mandarins for pot display is a painstaking process that can take two to three years. Gardeners must carefully shape the trunk, maintain lush foliage and nurture large, glossy fruit with the signature pink-orange blush. The goal is to keep the tree compact yet heavily laden, a balance that requires constant attention and experience.
Ha Thanh Hong, a grower in Phong Hoa Commune, Dong Thap Province with more than a decade of experience cultivating potted pink mandarins, said that while many households in the area plant mandarins for harvest or tourism, only four families can successfully produce potted trees.
According to him, growing mandarins in the ground is already challenging, but “forcing” the tree to thrive in a pot while keeping the fruit plentiful, juicy, and intact is even harder. If the tree bears fruit before being transferred into a pot, it will either shed its crop or fail to develop properly.
Buyers prize potted pink mandarins not only for their striking beauty but also for their symbolism. The fruit’s pink-orange hue is seen as a sign of prosperity and fortune, while the clustered, round mandarins embody hopes for a new year of abundance and completeness.
Hoang Hung of Ho Chi Minh City said his family chooses Lai Vung pink mandarins every Tet despite their steep price. “The color of the fruit and the green leaves create a warm, festive feeling,” he said. “They’re expensive, but the fragrance and size of Lai Vung mandarins can’t be replaced.”
Demand has quickly outpaced supply. Many of the most attractive pots were reserved weeks in advance, traders say. Mai Lan, who sources ornamental plants for Tet, reported that numerous gardens in Hoa Long, Lai Vung and Phong Hoa communes have already posted “out of stock” signs.
“I searched for a week and still couldn’t find more,” she said.
The scarcity has pushed prices higher, yet merchants continue combing orchards to secure stock for customers eager to decorate their homes. From trucks to city streets, the fruit-laden pots are now on the move, carrying both the colors of spring and the promise of prosperity from Dong Thap Province into households across the country.
