From this century-old flower village, local farmers cultivate ornamental flowers not only to make a living, but also to preserve a traditional craft, contributing to the distinctive identity of Sa Dec.

Starting a business in agricultural tourism

While preparing to load flowers onto vehicles for delivery to customers in central provinces, Pham Thanh Tam, owner of the Sa Dec Rose Field Ecotourism Site, shared: “This year, I have prepared many new flower varieties to serve the Tet market and tourism. The apricot blossom road is also expected to be especially vibrant; my workers and I are removing leaves from the apricot trees in preparation for blooming to welcome visitors. In addition, since early December 2025, I have decorated rural-themed mini landscapes and set up areas where visitors can experience trimming ornamental plants and planting flowers in pots.”

The Rose Field Ecotourism Site of Tam attracts large numbers of visitors on weekends as well as during holidays and Tet. This agricultural tourism experience area leaves a strong impression on visitors with its total area of up to 5 hectares, of which 2 hectares are dedicated to tourism, while the remaining area is used to grow Sa Dec’s signature ornamental flowers for sale. On normal days, when visitor numbers are low, activities focus on production; during holidays and Tet, tourism activities take priority. Even after the Sa Dec Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival, large numbers of visitors continue to come to the Rose Field Ecotourism Site. Here, visitors can tour and enjoy floating experiences on the waterways with flower-selling boats and sampans.

In addition, visitors can experience the traditional craft of weaving bamboo frames for flower planting. Tam explained that this experience evokes memories, as in the past farmers grew flowers using bamboo frames rather than plastic ones as today. Nowadays, most traders transport flowers and ornamental plants by trucks, but the image of buying and selling flowers on boats and riverbanks remains a beautiful memory. To recreate this scene, the Sa Dec Rose Field Ecotourism Site has brought flower and ornamental plant trading back onto the river.

Tam recalled that in the past, his family only produced and traded flowers and ornamental plants. Nine years ago, he made what was then considered a bold decision: starting a business in tourism. Born and raised in Sa Dec Flower Village, he once shared that he has a great passion for flowers and a deep understanding of rose varieties, which is why he chose to start his agricultural tourism venture right on his hometown fields. “I am very happy that the flower field idea has initially succeeded and attracted visitors from near and far to experience it. The plants and flowers we grow can be ‘viewed’ by visitors and also sold as products, helping to increase my family’s income. I hope this site will contribute to promoting and spreading agricultural tourism in Dong Thap,” Pham Thanh Tam shared.

At Sa Dec Flower Village, Doan Huu Nhieu, owner of the Mekong Lodge Tourism Site, is also a devoted farmer engaged in growing flowers and ornamental plants while developing experiential and agricultural tourism.

On the land he is cultivating, Nhieu has replanned 1.8 hectares that previously grew only landscaping plants and Tet flowers into a resort-style space combined with multicolored flower carpets. Instead of merely selling potted flowers, he has transformed the garden into an “ecosystem” of experiences, where visitors can admire the multi-dimensional beauty of hundreds of flower species.

Nhieu has boldly experimented with cultivating more than 100 flower varieties, including 20 main types such as calendula, vinca, petunia, firespike, and others. He focuses on low-growing flower varieties with compact sizes of about 25 cm but vivid colors, suitable for flower carpets - a modern decorative trend.

“Keeping the flame” of the craft

Currently, Sa Dec Ward has around 4,000 households producing flowers and ornamental plants on approximately 946 hectares; more than 200 flower and ornamental plant businesses; and about 2,000 types of flowers and ornamental plants, including signature varieties. The ward supplies around 15 million flower and ornamental plant products to the market each year. The total production value of flowers and ornamental plants in 2024 is estimated at about 3.3 trillion VND, accounting for 79% of agricultural production value. In addition, flowers and ornamental plants are the key product sector of Sa Dec Ward in particular and Dong Thap Province in general, contributing to Sa Dec Ward becoming a tourism center of Dong Thap Province.

“I cooperate with leading seed companies from the Netherlands to access standardized seed sources, fertilizers, and advanced cultivation techniques. Growing many new flower varieties is aimed at serving events such as the Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival. At the same time, I hope local flower growers can see that imported flower varieties can still grow well on Sa Dec’s land,” Doan Huu Nhieu said.

Over more than a hundred years of formation and development, from the first farmers who brought flowers to grow on the land of Sa Dec, Dong Thap Province, to artisans with skillful, delicate, and refined hands, generations have continued to build this unique flower village. As a result, many farmers have risen to prosperity through flower and ornamental plant production combined with tourism, contributing to the beauty of Sa Dec Ward in particular and Dong Thap Province in general.

Flower and ornamental plant growers in Sa Dec are making daily efforts, remaining responsive and creative to “keep the flame” of the craft alive, pass on the profession, and develop it further. Models combining flower and ornamental plant production with experiential tourism services such as homestays and agricultural tourism linked to the Sa Dec Flower and Ornamental Plant Village, with six OCOP-standard tourism sites, have attracted large numbers of domestic and international visitors.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Sa Dec Ward Nguyen Van Tam said that in the coming time, the locality will focus on linking flower and ornamental plant development with improving the effectiveness of the collective economy, and on production linkages along value chains. The ward will develop community-based tourism in a more professional direction; invest in tourism infrastructure through the development of accommodation areas and sites along with distinctive festivals; apply digital technologies in promotion and tour operations; and support tourism businesses and households in digital transformation and e-commerce development.

Whenever Tet arrives and spring comes, domestic and international visitors return to Sa Dec, to the flower village, to the Sa Nhien - Cai Dao flower road blooming year-round. There are not only flower and ornamental plant fields, but also farmers with deep affection for their craft and a passion for developing tourism out of pride in their homeland.

Sa Dec is no longer a modest riverside flower village, but has risen to become the largest flower and ornamental plant production center in the Mekong Delta. Sa Dec flowers and ornamental plants are distributed nationwide and are gradually reaching international markets, bringing high economic value.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap Province Pham Thanh Ngai.