Nation mapped out with lotus pots in Dong Thap

A map of Vietnam made from 5,000 lotus pots is now on display in Cao Lanh town of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

The 30 meter-long map can be seen floating on the surface of Lake Khong Tu in the Temple of Literature Park in Cao Lanh. The map shows Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, the capital of Hanoi, and other large cities in Vietnam.

The project is part of the 2024 Lotus Festival with the theme "Radiant in Lotus Color". This is the second year that the Lotus Festival has been organized in Dong Thap, to highlight lotus cultivation and enhance the value of the flower, the province's symbolic plant.

A professional team spent three days arranging the lotus pots into positions to form a Vietnam map. Workers frequently take care of the lotus pots to maintain the fresh, green look of the unique map.

The project contributes to making the Temple of Literature Park of Dong Thap a much-loved attraction, drawing many visitors and admirers while enhancing the general impression of the wider area

To promote the province's lotus plants, the Dong Thap Lotus Festival Organizing Committee is offering more than 4,000 bags of lotus seeds to people and tourists attending the festival. In each bag, there are five varieties of Dong Thap lotus, with a QR code to guide the process of cultivating the seeds.

Lotus is one of the main crops and emblems of Dong Thap, and covers over 1,800 hectares. Farmers in Dong Thap cultivate it for its roots, blooms, leaves, and seeds.

Lotus blossoms are frequently used in ceremonies and gatherings, as well as in food and beverages, as part of the local people's traditional culture and lifestyle.

There are 56 distinctive and outstanding products made from lotus under the Dong Thap brand, including lotus-infused tea, paintings, and silk.

The province is promoting lotus products to the global market, with Japan successfully receiving a 15-tonne shipment of Dong Thap lotus roots recently.