The incident occurred on the evening of 5/6 at a display area spanning about 400 m2 during the 1st Dong Thap Fruit Festival in 2026, held in Dao Thanh ward.
The space featured 10 fruit boats, numerous bamboo baskets, and miniature displays, showcasing hundreds of kilograms of various fruits such as durian, mango, longan, dragon fruit, and pineapple.
The opening night drew thousands of visitors, many of whom arbitrarily took the display fruit, affecting numerous miniature exhibits and leaving some areas sparse and stripped bare.
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A miniature display stripped of its fruit. Photo: Tran Thanh
A representative from the organizing committee stated that units replenished fruit and rearranged the entire space on the morning of 6/6, ensuring aesthetic appeal throughout the festival.
The organizing committee also instructed relevant units to increase personnel for monitoring, supervision, and protection of the display area. Simultaneously, they intensified public awareness campaigns and encouraged residents and visitors to exhibit civilized behavior, not interfering with festival exhibits.
According to the festival's organizing committee, the display area was created to introduce and promote Dong Thap's distinctive fruit varieties, while honoring the efforts and dedication of gardeners.
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Most of the display fruit was taken after the opening night. Photo: Tran Thanh
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Styrofoam and fruit scattered beneath the miniature displays. Photo: Tran Thanh
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A miniature display with only bamboo baskets and styrofoam remaining. Photo: Tran Thanh
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A longan fruit model stripped bare after the opening night. Photo: Tran Thanh
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A fruit boat displaying mangosteens had almost all its fruit removed. Photo: Tran Thanh
The 1st Dong Thap Fruit Festival in 2026, themed "Dong Thap - Land of Sweet Fruits", spans four days.
The event includes 21 activities: a fruit art arrangement competition, a water music performance combined with light and artistic mapping titled "Listen to the River's Story", a painting competition "Land of Sweet Fruits - Colors of the Homeland", a street festival, a parade, and a costume performance.
Dong Thap currently boasts nearly 135.000 ha of fruit trees with about 20 main varieties like mango, durian, and dragon fruit, producing an annual output of about 2,5 million tons. Of this, over 55.000 ha have been granted 1.329 growing area codes.
Ngoc Tai
