HCM CITY — A 15km street lined with flowers and ornamental plants created by local bonsai artists at the inaugural Chợ Lách Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre from January 8 to 12 seeks to be recognised as the longest of its kind in the country by Guinness Việt Nam.

Announcing this at a press conference held in HCM City last Sunday (December 15), the organisers said, with the theme "Colours of Chợ Lách," the festival will take place at the Chợ Lách Cultural and Tourism Village.

The 2023 Miss Eco International Nguyễn Thanh Hà will be an ambassador for the festival.

Phạm Anh Linh, chairman of the Chợ Lách People's Committee, said the district is known as the kingdom of seedlings, flowers and ornamental plants in the delta, and has many billionaire farmers.

"With its unique resources, it has a big advantage in developing tourism products, especially garden tourism associated with the green and sustainable economy," he said.

Its policy of promoting agricultural and rural tourism has been encouraging wealthy farmers to develop tourism related to their farms, also helping promote an established image as an area famous for flowers and ornamental plants. 

"The festival aims to honor local flowers and ornamental plants and help develop a garden economy," he said.

Its products and cultural space will be introduced to local and foreign visitors, thus promoting trade, tourism and investment, and socio-economic development in both the district and the province.

The festival is the first step in farmers getting involved with tourism, he said.

It has organised more than 15 training courses for local farmers on  tourism.

It will feature more than 100 booths showcasing seedlings, flowers, ornamental plants, relevant services, models of  agricultural and rural tourism, traditional craft villages, handicrafts, and technology solutions  applied for digital transformation and developing Chợ Lách's green agricultural economy.

It is also a meeting place for a community of smart and innovative garden farmers.

There will be cultural spaces for trade promotion through e-commerce and livestreams, traditional cockfighting, ornamental plants and bonsai, đờn ca tài tử (southern folk music); garden tourism, cuisine, folk games, and typical OCOP and start-up products.

Visitors will experience hands-on how to make flower pots and bonsai and produce seedlings, enjoy garden cuisine and traditional cockfighting, and a fashion show of áo bà ba (traditional dress of southern women) made from banana fibre. 

Some 20,000 people are expected to visit the festival. — VNS