Since early December, old persimmon gardens in Dai Hue Commune, Nghe An, have begun to ripen, with vivid red fruit spreading across entire hillsides.
Some of the most striking orchards have been upgraded by local residents into tourist sites rather than being harvested for sale as in the past.
Dai Hue commune has about 200 hectares of persimmon orchards, many of them several decades old, according to local people.
During the ripening season, the trees shed all their leaves, leaving only clusters of bright red fruit clinging to bare branches. The scene creates a poetic winter landscape across the slopes of the Dai Hue mountain range.
Large numbers of visitors travel to the old orchards each season to sightsee and take photos.
Nguyen Trong Sach, owner of the Dai Hue Farm Stay tourism site, said this year’s crop had suffered heavy fruit drop due to storms and flooding, reducing yields. To adapt, he invested in decorative features for photography and added services such as costume and accessory rentals.
At weekends, his orchard receives more than 300 visitors a day.
One visitor, Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, said she and a group of friends came to the Dai Hue orchards to take photos.
“The persimmon garden has a raw, natural beauty, with the red fruit standing out even more in the hazy winter mist today,” Hien said. “The entrance fee of about VND40,000 (USD1.6) per visit feels very reasonable.”
Some orchard owners also offer professional photography services for visitors. In addition to taking photos, tourists can buy persimmons to eat or take home as gifts.
