For countless nights, locals have worked under flickering lights, like stars scattered over the sweet-fruit hills—symbols of hope and reward after a full year of careful cultivation.

Resident of Muoi hamlet, Giap Son commune, lights up the night to harvest lychees.

At around 2 a.m., under a pale moon, we followed farmers from Muoi village, Giap Son commune, as they headed up the hills to harvest lychees. Dozens of flashing lights created a surreal glow across the orchards. The buzz of conversation, shouts calling between trees, and the background hum of insects broke the silence of the night.

This night, like so many others during lychee season, Tran Van Kien’s entire family—nine members—was on the hill harvesting. Their tools were simple: flashlights, plastic baskets, a motorbike, and several large crates.

Locals in Muoi hamlet, Giap Son commune, gather ripe lychees during the harvest.

Even his grandchildren, now on school break, joined to help. Everyone had a role: children and elders plucked leaves, sorted the fruit, bundled clusters and loaded the baskets.

Younger, more agile members climbed trees and clipped the fruit. Despite the dim light, their movements were practiced and efficient. By 5 a.m., their baskets were brimming.

“My family has more than 270 lychee trees. This year, despite early-season drought, the trees bore fruit heavily and beautifully,” said Kien. “We’ve been getting good prices. But harvest time is short—only about 20 days—so we mobilize everyone to pick quickly. We often start at 2 a.m., and on average, we sell about 700 kilograms each morning.”

Luc Ngan gardens enjoy bumper harvest.

Once a batch weighs roughly 300 kilograms, Kien loads it onto his motorbike and drives four kilometers to the weighing station in Phi Dien town to sell to traders. “Harvesting at night helps preserve the fruit’s freshness and appearance,” he explained. “Traders usually want to buy early in the morning.”

At the foot of the hills, just as the moon set and dawn began to break, another family in Muoi village was preparing to transport nearly 200 kilograms of lychees to a weighing station along National Highway 31. The fruit was destined for export markets. To gather it, Truong Van Hai and his two family members had stayed up all night.

For lychee growers in Luc Ngan, June is unlike any other time of year. It’s not just the busiest season—it’s a time when daily routines are completely rearranged. Harvest season brings both exhaustion and joy. Each ripe fruit represents hard-earned income. So, sleepless nights and shortened rest are accepted without complaint.

This year, Luc Ngan has over 10,300 hectares of lychee orchards. Of this, more than 6,900 hectares—about 67%—are grown to VietGAP safety standards. The district has seen a sharp rise in output compared to previous years.

But the harvest window is tight—running only from early June to the end of July—putting immense pressure on growers to pick, sort, and sell their fruit quickly. The pace is relentless.

The early morning in Luc Ngan lychee hub.

From the start of the season, Luc Ngan has harvested and sold about 8,000 tonnes of fresh lychee. Of this, more than 60% has been consumed domestically, while the remainder was exported—often at higher prices.

Across Luc Ngan, from valley floors to hilltops, lychee farmers are working round the clock. The fruits of their labor are not just the juicy, fragrant lychees shipped off to cities or exported overseas—they are the pride, resilience, and rhythm of life in one of Vietnam’s most productive fruit-growing regions.

"Luc Ngan Lychee Week" launched in Bac Giang’s industrial parks

BAC GIANG - To diversify the forms of lychee consumption, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinated with the Bac Giang provincial Industrial Park Management Board and the People's Committees of districts and township: Tan Yen, Luc Ngan, Chu to implement "Luc Ngan Lychee Week" in industrial parks in the province, starting at 4:00 p.m. on June 12, 2025.

Chu Township ensures security, order and traffic safety during lychee season

BAC GIANG - Currently, people in Chu township (Bac Giang province) have begun harvesting lychees. To help farmers and traders transport and consume fruits conveniently, local authorities and police forces are making efforts to ensure security, order, traffic safety and minimize traffic jams.

Bac Giang: Early-ripening lychee season enjoys favourable sales

BAC GIANG - As of now, Bac Giang province has sold over 15,000 tonnes of early-ripening lychees, accounting for about 25% of the total early-ripening lychee harvest. The smooth sales reflect stable market demand and the strong appeal of the product.

Bac Giang’s early ripening lychees exported to high-end markets

BAC GIANG – As of June 3, Bac Giang Province sold over 7,200 tonnes of early-harvest lychees, with several shipments exported to high-end markets, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

Luc Ngan to host lychee tourism festival

Festival-goers will have a chance to take part in lychee harvesting, bunch-tying, stem-cutting, chilling fruit in ice-water tanks, and packing into foam boxes in accordance with export-standard procedures.

 

Hung Yen egg-shaped lychees sold out before harvest begins

Despite being weeks away from peak harvest season, Hung Yen’s signature egg-shaped lychees are already sold out thanks to a surge in pre-orders.