Hanoi (VNA) - A day trip to MeLinh Flower Village is a chance to escape from hustle and bustle and tofill one’s lungs with fresh air in flower fields after long days choking inHanoi's polluted air.

Located just 30km north of the capital, thearea is a new flower hub offering fresh flowers for Hanoi and northernprovinces.

Though it does not have long history like NgocHa and Nhat Tan villages, Me Linh district now hosts more than 200ha of flowerfields.

“Income from flowers has made significantchanges to our life,’ said Trinh Van Phu, a local farmer. “In the past, we justplanted rice, corn, vegetables and fruits.”

Flower fields featuring violet, gladiolus,mimosa, rose, daisy and lily have brought new colours for villages inThanh Lam, Dai Thinh and Van Khe communes, where ithe roads have beencemented and bigger and more beautiful houses have been built. Many peoplehave also bought cars and modern technology.

“We still live on agriculture but our livingstandards have greatly improved,” Phu said.

Few people would know that Me Linh wasformed accidentally nearly 20 years ago, when Nguyen Van Loi, a student fromthe National Economics University, brought a Da Lat rose from a birthday partyhome to Me Linh district, which was then part of the northern province of VinhPhuc.

At that time, such a rose was a rare and luxuryitem found on postcards only, Loi recalled.

“Passion for my future career drove me to graftthe rose with wild rose plants popular in Me Linh fields,” he said.

The mixed rose plant grew well, to Loi’ssurprise. He then spread the plant across his field with his older brotherNguyen Van Quy.

The first crop brought his family enough moneyto ease the loss of the family fish pond.

The family then grew more bumper flower crops,which inspired more households in the area to ask for help grafting plants,selecting genres and care techniques.

Gradually, flowers spread across thedistrict, which now supplies flowers for northern provinces like Thanh Hoa, BacGiang, Yen Bai, Ha Giang and even exports overseas.

 Unlike planting rice and vegetables,farmers can plant flowers year-round.

Early in the morning and around 4pm in theafternoon, the fields are full of farmers busy cutting and caring forflowers. Bikes and cars driven by wholesalers flock to the fields to buyflowers at the same time.

Not only wholesalers, domestic and foreigntourists also visit to enjoy the immense flower fields.

“We like this flower field as it is not too busylike the ones in Hanoi,” said Phi Thanh Duc, who took his wedding photos in thefield. “It’s not also too far to travel during the day. The atmosphere here isso fresh and cool.”

Le Thanh Mai, a student from Hanoi, said sheliked the flower market as there were many kinds of flowers on all corners ofthe rural roads.

“I spent my time filling my lungs with the freshair and scent of flowers, and also taking a lot of wonderful selfies and'wefies' with my friends," she said.

 According to local farmers, the best timeto visit Me Linh is between the 12th lunar month and the third lunar month ofthe new year, when many kinds of flowers come to full bloom to preparefor Tet (lunar New Year).

Land of heroines

Me Linh was the residential area of generals duringthe Hung King’s era in early history.

The fertile land used to be an economic andcultural exchange centre between mountainous, mid-land and neighbouring areasof Thang Long Citadel.

Like other historical locations in the country,Me Linh district now hosts various historical sites including communal houses,temples and archaeological sites.

Thanh Den archaeological site in Tu Lapcommune was first discovered in 1970. Objects unearthed included stone,bronze and ceramic objects, including many bronze casts.

Scientists confirmed that Thanh Den used to benot only a residential area but also an important bronze casting centredating back to the 15th century BC. 

The land was also where the two Trung sisters(who lived between 14 AD and 43 AD) spent their childhood, grew up andstarted their revolution against Chinese invaders (between 40-43 AD). Aftertheir victory in 43 AD, the older Trung Trac came to throne and claimed thearea the capital of Linh Nam State (early name of Vietnam).

Their revolution was the first armed revolutionof the Vietnamese people, which overthrew Chinese power lasting more than 200years.

The two sisters are considered the firstheroines of the Vietnamese people.

Every year, Hai Ba Trung Temple hosts a festivalon 4-10th of lunar first month, the same days the two sistersgathered their troops. The main day is the sixth, when people organiseworship ceremonies for the two sisters and various folk games to entertainlocals.

That’s why among more than 100 temples dedicatedto the Trung sisters in nine provinces and cities in the north, the templeto them in Ha Loi village, Me Linh commune, Me Linh district is mostimportant./.