Bac Lieu longan garden has long been famous throughout the region, not only for its elegant sweet taste and attractive aroma but also for its longevity. The longan trees here are all over a hundred years old, so the locals often call them ancient longan trees with their sinewy, winding appearance like works of art carved by nature.
History of formation and development of longan garden in Bac Lieu
Bac Lieu longan has been mentioned in many poems and songs and has remained in the lives of Bac Lieu people for hundreds of years. For visitors from afar, having the opportunity to travel to Bac Lieu, everyone wants to once see with their own eyes the natural beauty of the ancient longan trees over a hundred years old and taste the delicious sweetness of the once famous ancient longan.
Following the road named after the musician Cao Van Lau about 6km towards the sea, you will see Bac Lieu ancient longan garden, over 230ha wide, stretching over 11km from Hiep Thanh to Vinh Trach Dong.
According to the locals, Bac Lieu longan garden was planted over a hundred years ago. In the past, this area was a sand dune formed through the process of natural sedimentation and by people building dikes to reclaim land from the sea. This type of land has good drainage, deep water level, thick arable layer… and is considered quite suitable for growing fruit trees and crops. When the Chinese immigrated here to live in the early 19th century, Mr. Truong Hung was the first person to bring two varieties of Su-bic and Tu-huyt longan from China to plant on the sand dunes of Bac Lieu.
The Su-bic variety has large fruit, thin skin, thick flesh, very fragrant and sweet. The Tu-huyt variety has small fruit, small seeds, but thick flesh, sweet taste. Both varieties of longan adapt and grow very well on sand dunes, especially the Su-bic variety which is favored by many people. So many people expanded the area of Su-bic longan. From Hiep Thanh to Vinh Trach Dong, wherever there is sand dunes, longan grows.
Ancient longan garden – a hot spot tourist destination
Each ancient longan tree in Bac Lieu contains many cultural elements that cannot be found anywhere else. It demonstrates the history of the formation of Bac Lieu’s mound land, the bond between the three ethnic groups Kinh, Hoa, and Khmer in the development process. That long-lasting connection has created a rich culture of the mound land. Therefore, Bac Lieu’s ancient longan garden is not simply picking fruit to sell at the market, but also contains historical value.
In Chom Xoai hamlet, Hiep Thanh commune, there is a longan garden of Mr. Truong Kiet’s family (the third generation of Mr. Truong Hung) with an area of 3 hectares, the largest in the commune. The garden was planted by previous generations and is now over 100 years old. Here, there is a longan tree first planted by Mr. Truong Hung, now an ancient longan tree with a trunk so big that two people cannot hug it.
One of the over 100 year olds longan trunk
These ancient longan trees still flower and bear fruit in season, although a little less. The ideal time to travel to Bac Lieu to visit the ancient Bac Lieu longan garden is around May or September. May is when the longan garden is in bloom, the whole garden is filled with beautiful white flowers, attracting butterflies and bees, and September is the time to harvest longan so visitors can enjoy the delicious taste of Bac Lieu longan.
Coming to the longan garden, visitors can rest under the shade of the trees, breathe the fresh air of a quiet countryside with the sounds of folk songs and folk music. Coming here in the longan ripening season, visitors can also enjoy delicious longan fruits, full of the garden flavor, and join the locals in harvesting ripe longan. The delicious taste of each longan fruit makes it unforgettable for diners.
Don ca tai tu – a folk music show in longan garden
In addition to enjoying and buying bunches of sweet longan as gifts, on the way to the ancient longan garden, there are many shops selling famous delicious banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese pancake), remember to enjoy them.
banh keo
On Bac Lieu longan trees today, the hundred-year-old longan trees are still being nurtured and preserved as a cultural feature of a time of land reclamation. In addition, Bac Lieu province is constantly researching and cross-breeding new longan varieties that inherit the aroma and sweetness of the famous ancient longan.
Source: collected by An
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