Dazzling sunflower garden draws photo seekers on Saigon outskirts

A magnificent sunflower garden located on Tam Da Street in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City has come into full bloom, attracting droves of city dwellers who seek a place for stunning photos and a weekend relief not far from home.

The garden is only around 20 kilometers east of the city center, spanning about four hectares in area and loaded with different species of flowers.

The young are keen on coming here not only to delight in the peaceful atmosphere but also to take photos for social media.

The garden is open to visitors from morning until dusk for an admission fee of VND40,000 (US$1.72) per person.

Visitors can rent Vietnam’s traditional ‘ao dai’ long gown, ‘ao ba ba’ silk pajamas, and camisoles for their photo shoot.

The owner of the garden, 65-year-old Ly Van Sang, said he created the garden for city dwellers to unwind and take photos on the weekend, putting his passion for planting flowers to good use.

However, this year’s COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a considerable drop in the number of sightseers visiting Quang’s garden compared to previous years.

“The [sunflowers] are only in full bloom for about 14 days, so I plant a diverse variety of flowers — lotus, cosmos and cock’s comb — to meet visitors’ demands [whenever] they arrive,” Sang said.

Vu Thi Yen, 19, from District 9 told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper she was invited to the garden for a weekend photo shoot with her friend.

“The tranquil scene here helps to lift my spirit and make me feel highly energized to start a new week,” Yen said.