Hanoi (VNA)𝔍 – For families in the north, peach blossoms form an indispensable part of the celebration of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Legend has it that long ago, there was a giant peach tree growing on the top of the mountain where two fairies lived. There, they protected human beings from evil forces of devil, with the peach blossoms as a symbol of their peaceful intentions. As the year comes to an end and another is on the horizon, it is time for the two fairies to travel to the Heaven to pay homage to the Jade Emperor. Taking advantage of their absence, the devil usually comes to spread his negative influence on people. Knowing that this could happen, the two fairies tell the people to plant peach blossom branches in their houses for protection while the fairies are away. The blossoms help beautify the home and protect it by preventing the devil from coming in. And from then began the tradition of placing peach blossom branches in the house to keep evil out, avoid bad omens, and maintain peace and tranquility. In addition, peach often blooms in the spring, the pink color of the flowers brings auspicious vitality and beautifies the house. The peach blossom has become a symbol of the New Year, bringing good luck, peace, joy, and happiness. Peach trees were discovered about 7,500 years ago in Persia (now Iran). Their flower belongs to the rose family, scientifically known as Prunus persica. Thanks to the seed-eating birds and the domestication and hybridisation by humans, the peach tree has migrated to many countries around the world, including Vietnam. According to scientists, there are six species of peach trees in the world and 5,000 varieties are grown in temperate and subtropical countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. No one knows when peach trees started to appear in Vietnam, but there are many different varieties of peach blossoms in Vietnam and they are all beautiful. The beautiful flowers bloom in the spring with clusters of either single or double petals. Single-petal flowering peaches will more likely bear fruit, but the double flowers have more beautiful blossoms. Peach blossoms come in a variety of colours, from pure white to pale pink, deep pink, and crimson. Popular peach blossoms in Vietnam include red peach blossom, pale pink peach blossom, white, “that thon” bonsai, and wild peach. Wild peach is popular in northern mountainous provinces. Growing in the forest, it takes eight to ten years for the peach trees to have strong, rough branches and mossy trunks. People in mountainous provinces also plant peach trees for blossom or fruit. Wild peach varieties brought home and planted by locals can be paired with those from elsewhere to generate a new one that grows faster and flowers earlier. The shape of the trees and their branches may not look wild as those growing in the forest but they still carry the “breath” of the natural mountains and forests. The most popular and well-known peach blossom is a deep pink which has single and double petals, each flower consists of five or up to 25 delicate and paper-like petals with several stringy stamens toward its centre. Meanwhile, “that thon” bonsai, an ancient peach blossom genre with bright red flowers, is widely considered the king of all peach blossoms. “That thon” means each pinch of the tree can have seven flowers blooming. The flowers bloom the most brightly for seven days. Double flowers with seven layers of petals each only appear once every seven years. The soft velvety petals blooming on the rough tree branches make “that thon” stand out among a forest of many types of peach blossoms./.