The essence of lotus
According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the whole city currently has more than 600 hectares of lotus cultivation, mainly concentrated in the districts of My Duc, Ba Vi, Me Linh, Phuc Tho, Ung Hoa, Bac Tu Liem, Tay Ho...
In particular, the West Lake lotus (Tay Ho district), with large flowers of about 100 petals, has a distinctive fragrance that is very different from other lotus species. It is classified as a rare genetic resource that needs to be preserved and developed nationwide.
Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Hanoi New Rural Area Coordination Office, said that recently, many quintessential specialties have been processed from lotus, which not only bring economic value but also become a unique cultural feature of the people of Hanoi. Among these, 18 products from lotus flowers have been evaluated and classified in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program.
In addition, there are also OCOP products from lotus that are bringing high economic value such as: Hien Xiem lotus tea and Quang An lotus tea, Tay Ho district; Dam Long lotus seeds, Ba Vi district; lotus leaf tea, Soc Son district; lotus heart tea, Thanh Tri district; Ngo Thuc lotus seed sticky rice, Nam Tu Liem district...
The development of lotus helps bring significant revenue to localities, while increasing income and improving people's lives. However, the exploitation of economic value from lotus is considered not commensurate with its potential and advantages, especially in terms of tourism .
Great potential for tourism development
According to the Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Dang Huong Giang, many provinces and cities across the country are currently developing tourism products from flowers very effectively. For example, Hai Phong City has the Red Flamboyant Festival; Ha Giang Province has the Buckwheat Flower Festival; Gia Lai Province has the Wild Sunflower Festival...
“Hanoi has a large lotus growing area and many OCOP products from lotus flowers, so it is completely possible to develop lotus tourism products effectively. Some localities can become typical tourist destinations of Hanoi, typically Tay Ho district…” - Ms. Dang Huong Giang commented.
On July 13, the Hanoi Department of Tourism conducted a survey of a number of tourist attractions in Tay Ho district such as: Dong Co Temple historical site (Buoi ward), Kim Lien Pagoda (Quang An ward), Nhat Tan communal house and Nhat Tan tourist area... The activity had the participation of many travel agencies, contributing to strengthening the connection of destinations, creating attractive tours and experience routes for tourists when coming to Hanoi.
Sharing the same view on the advantages of Tay Ho district, Chairman of Hanoi Tourism Association Le Thanh Thao said that Tay Ho can build tours and tourist routes associated with Hanoi Lotus Festival to create products with its own brand as well as the capital's tourism brand.
However, to develop tourism products imbued with the essence of Hanoi lotus, Tay Ho district needs to focus on developing more activities and cultural and culinary products related to lotus. For example, introducing the essence of lotus-infused tea; encouraging culinary establishments and restaurants to create more dishes about lotus...
According to Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Dinh Hoa, in order to preserve and promote the value of lotus flowers, the Department has coordinated with the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute to test-plant more than 30 new lotus varieties. As a result, nearly 20 lotus varieties that are well adapted to Hanoi's soil conditions have been selected.
“Thanks to the application of science and technology, the city now has many new lotus varieties, helping the lotus season in Hanoi last from April to November every year, contributing to increasing the experience and attracting more tourists to Hanoi to enjoy the lotus…” - Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoa added.
In the coming time, Hanoi will continue to develop unique products to attract tourists to visit and experience lotus, contributing to the socio-economic development of the capital, preserving traditional cultural features in Vietnamese lotus products in general and Hanoi lotus in particular.
“In recent years, due to urbanization, the area for growing lotus in the district has been reduced. To preserve and develop the precious lotus species, the district is implementing a project to restore the planting of lotus in 18 lakes in the area. Along with that, the district continues to promote information and propaganda so that people understand the potential, advantages and role of growing lotus. Thereby contributing to promoting economic development, tourism and craft village culture in the district…” - Secretary of Tay Ho District Party Committee Le Thi Thu Hang .
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/ha-noi-khai-thac-chuoi-gia-tri-tu-cay-hoa-sen.html
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