Tet New Year 2009 and Nhat Tan Peach Flower

Every year as the Tet holidays approach, people from various regions in Vietnam visit Nhat Tan Village in Tay Ho District in the capital city of Hanoi. Is something interesting there?

At this time of the year, the village is suffused in a blazing pink color from a myriad of peach flowers. Walking around the village, seeing the blooms on the peach trees, discussing their beauty and then choosing favorites for Tet is common practice, not only in Nhat Tan but also in other areas around Hanoi where these beautiful flowers bloom, such as Hoang Hoa Tham, Hang Luoc or Quang Ba.

People say that peach flowers in Hanoi are dif­ferent from those in other localities. The petals are thinner with a stronger pink and the pistils are yellow. The flowers have anywhere from 12 to 32 petals.

Taking care of the peach trees is also an art. Some bonsai peach trees are sent to gardens for care during the year and their owners take them back for the Tet holidays. These peach trees are said to cost millions of dong. However, one can buy peach trees for much less, from tens to hundreds of thousands of dong, from street vendors around the town to welcome a happy Tet.