The 44th spring flower festival kicked off at Tao Dan Park in Ho Chi Minh City on February 6 evening as part of the activities to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet) – the biggest and oldest festival in Vietnam.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Duong Anh Duc stated that this event embodies the rich cultural heritage of the locality.
Initiated in 1981, the annual event offers a good chance for artisans and gardeners in and outside the country to exchange experiences and ideas, he said, adding that along with the Nguyen Hue Flower Street project, the festival has become one of the city's iconic and traditional festival events of the southern metropolis every time Tet comes.
According to Duc, festive activities and landscape designs arranged within the festival are imbued with unique artistic flairs, meeting the entertainment demand of people and contributing to preserving the traditional cultural value of the nation's traditional Tet holiday.
The festival features a series of unique works, including a collection of yellow apricot trees with a 50-year-old tree from a collector from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang; an over-40-year apricot tree with a height of 3 metres from Thu Duc city; a plumeria flower collection with many big ones; and a collection of orchids, including a 200-flower-stem work called Kim Diep (Golden Butterfly).
Notably, the 10-day event introduces a solid wood sculpture in the shape of a map of Vietnam, which was made public for the first time. This work is part of a collection by artisan Nguyen Truong Tien from HCM City.
A wide range of other activities such as cultural and art programmes, and lion and dragon dancing performances, will also be organised in the framework of the festival, which will last until February 15 (the 6th day of the first lunar month).
