HCM CITY – The 20th Southern Fruit Festival, titled Hành Trình Làm Nông Hạnh Phúc (The Happy Journey of Farming), opened on Saturday morning at the Suối Tiên Theme Park in HCM City’s District 9 with exciting festivities ready for visitors.

The annual event highlights the diverse and exotic range of tropical fruits grown in the country, honours farmers and promotes cultural, cross-cultural, and tourism activities, Bùi Thị Tố Trinh, deputy general director of the park, told the opening ceremony.

An opening ceremony was held this morning at District 9's Suối Tiên Theme Park to kick-start the 20th Southern Fruit Festival. VNS Photo Gia Linh

It includes a market selling local speciality fruits such as plum, avocado, mango, mangosteen, watermelon, and longan and OCOP products at low prices.

Visitors can buy high-quality local speciality fruits such as mango, mangosteen, watermelon, and longan, at lower prices than at markets. VNS Photo Gia Linh

Many stalls also offer OCOP products to promote local specialties. VNS Photo Gia Linh

Visitors can enjoy delicacies from all over the country at a food market with over 20 stalls.

A stall selling traditional Vietnamese chè (sweet soup) with grass jelly and bánh lọt (cendol). VNS Photo Gia Linh

There is also a gigantic fruit collection, parades, fruit sculptures, and musical performances.

An impressive collection of gigantic winter melons. VNS Photo Gia Linh

Floats decorated with colourful flowers and fruits for a parade that will be held every weekend. VNS Photo Gia Linh

Besides the usual festivities, there will also be first ever events such as the Green Unity Campaign competition in which artistic projects are created using only recycled materials.

Fruit lovers can pick their own fruits and eat them at the Suối Tiên Farm where over 30 foreign fruits are grown to strict organic and VietGAP standards.

Suối Tiên Farm is where visitors can try freshly picked fruits. VNS Photo Gia Linh

The Southern Fruit Festival was recognised as an iconic tourism activity of HCM City in 2004, and it since has attracted around one million visitors every year.

It is also a highly anticipated part of the second HCM City River Festival this year.

It will run until August 31. VNS