Dien Hoa is a farming commune, located across Tam Giang Lagoon in Phong Dien district. Apart from rice, farmers grow yellow apricot trees. The whole commune consists of 930 households, and all of them plant yellow apricots, some only 30-50 trees, others plant hundreds. This is also the only commune in Thua Thien-Hue province that has an ornamental Apricot Plant Club and the only one that organises an annual apricot blossom festival on the 10^th day of 12^th lunar month.

Vo Sy Dai, a veteran in Dien Hoa commune, says people here have been growing apricot trees for ages. However, because the village is located in a remote area, the commune used to grow apricot trees mainly for leisure. Only recently this has developed into a business.

In reality, in the recent times, people in the locality have earned much money from planting apricot. Old apricot trees were left forgotten after the war and during the years of subsidised economy. But now they are in high demand among people in Hue who collect ornamental plants. Then the commune’s apricot trees entered the market, turning many households into millionaires such as Nguyen Van Be, Dang Van Hieu, Nguyen Minh Loi, Nguyen Dang Than and Dang Tan, etc.

This is because farmers have grown the most valuable rare kinds of apricot trees. Hundreds of millions dongs are offered for old trees, which are hundreds years-old, but few farmers agree to sell them. Only by selling an old apricot tree, a household could build a house.

Now, in Dien Hoa commune all households plant apricot trees, not only for leisure but also to serve the market. The aim is to use the tree business to help eliminate hunger and reduce poverty in the locality.

Dien Hoa Ornamental Apricot Plant Club serves to transfer the knowledge of technology of growing trees to its members so they can meet the demand of choosy ornamental tree lovers. As a result, the commune’s apricot has been present in collections and exhibitions in Hue, including An Hien garden, and in Ho Chi Minh museum and the royal citadel, becoming thus a recognised brand in the ornamental plant market in the central region: “Dien Hoa apricot” or the “Village of yellow apricot by Tam Giang Lagoon”.

Especially now toward the event of the year, despite the long cold spell in Thua Thien-Hue, apricot lovers from all around the country have flown into Dien Hoa commune to pick a tree for the New Year celebration. The prices this year are not higher than in previous years as the demand has actually decreased. On average, a five year-old tree is VND3-5 million, more than 10 years-old ones are VND10-15 million, and older ones are VND50-100 million.

According to the statistics made by Dien Hoa Ornamental Apricot Association, the whole commune has more than 2,000 trees aged 10-15 years old, besides, thousands of trees are less than 10 years old. Every year at the Dien Hoa Spring Flower Festival, apricot trees aged above 10 years are displayed.

A simple calculation shows that only by selling all apricot trees that are 10-15 years old for VND10-15 million each, in this Tet festival, Dien Hoa apricot commune will earn VND20-30 billion, no tree was brought such a big profit to farmers in this locality so far.

The reputation of Dien Hoa apricot has gradually spread widely, carrying to the northern and southern regions as spring comes.

People in this locality are very proud of their apricot trees, both for their aesthetic and economic value. Their greatest value lies in their contribution toward hunger eradication and poverty reduction./.