One of the most anticipated events for the Yen Chau Mango Festival by locals and tourists is the mango picking competition. Yen Chau District has directed Sap Vat Commune to survey and select mango gardens with a large number of fruits to host the competition.
Ancient mango garden of Kha village, Sap Vat commune.
This year, there are 8 teams from communes and towns with large mango areas in the district participating in the mango picking competition. Each team consists of 4 people (2 men, 2 women) wearing traditional ethnic costumes, performing 2 events: picking mangoes with a pole and picking mangoes blindfolded.
Within 15 minutes, members are not allowed to climb, shake trees, break branches, hit fruits, or damage the trees or fruit quality. The team that picks more fruits wins.
The teams demonstrated their skills in picking mangoes with poles.
The mango garden of Mr. Me Van Duc's family, Kha village, Sap Vat commune, was chosen by the Organizing Committee to hold the mango picking competition using a pole, with over 100 mango trees planted since 2000, mainly round mango varieties. Here, the competing teams skillfully used techniques of both climbing and using a pole to pick the most fruit.
The organizers weighed mangoes for the competing teams.
Mr. Lo Van Truong, a member of the Chieng Sang commune team, said: Mango picking is a competition that requires a lot of skills, skillful coordination in picking, and needs to be fast and accurate. In 15 minutes, the team members completed the competition well with 23 kg of fruit picked.
Blindfolded mango picking contest.
While the mango picking competition with a pole took place in an old garden, the blindfolded mango picking competition was held in newly planted round mango gardens, with trees only about 4 meters high. This was a very exciting and dramatic competition, attracting a large number of tourists to watch and cheer.
The teams performed the blindfolded mango picking contest.
The blindfolded contestants will be led to the mangoes by team members and instructed to pick the mangoes. The cheers of the audience, along with the determination to win of the teams, made the fruit picking competition exciting and attractive.
The teams performed the blindfolded mango picking contest.
Ms. Hoang Thi Phong, a member of the Vieng Lan commune team, shared: Although blindfolded mango picking is difficult, it is very interesting, requiring coordination between the blindfolded person and the instructor. Picking low fruits is quick, but for high fruits, the male member needs to be supported to carry them up. Thanks to that, the team completed the competition well with a total weight of 19 kg of fruit.
The teams gathered the mangoes at the competition site.
Along with witnessing the dramatic competitions, delegates and visitors also had the opportunity to experience picking fruit in ancient mango gardens. Ms. Le Hong Nhung, a visitor from Hai Phong city, said: This is the first time I have attended the Mango Festival in Yen Chau district, I found it very interesting, especially being able to pick the ripe, fragrant round mangoes myself. I will definitely come back and buy local round mango products to introduce to my friends.
The team that picks the most mangoes wins.
The mango picking competition not only helps teams learn and exchange experiences, but is also an opportunity to honor farmers who grow and care for mangoes and attract the participation of a large number of people and tourists from all over the world, contributing to promoting Yen Chau round mango products.
PV Group
Exciting and attractive mango picking competition (baosonla.org.vn)