A month before the Lunar New Year, or the traditional Vietnamese Tet Holiday, gardeners in Dac So Commune, Hoai Duc District, are busy harvesting Buddha's hand citron, a special fruit for ancestor worship on Tet.

The fruit is also known as Citrus medica or finger citron. With the shape of Buddha's hand, the fingered lemon has long been considered a fruit that brings blessings and good fortune according to Asian beliefs.

Farmer Tran Thi Tuyen's Buddha hand fruit farm in Dac So Commune, Hoai Duc District. Photos: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times

Up to 80% of the total 100 hectares of farmland in Dac So is used growing this kind of tree, making the place a hub for fruit production.

According to Tuyen, the fruit originates from the northern mountains then grown on a large scale in the locality.

Owing to its exquisite appearance and aroma, Buddha's hand fruit is used as a religious offering in Buddhist temples and Vietnamese households.

It is very difficult to grow Buddha's hand fruit because it is very sensitive to frost, intense heat, and drought.

Farmers have to be meticulous about watering and fertilizing their crops to grow the best-looking fruit.

This kind of fruit helps growers make a fortune.

Approximately two million Buddha hand fruits are sold each year, generating over VND100 billion (US$4 million) in profit for local farmers.

The fruit is priced much higher than others, ranging from VND70,000 ($2.8) to $12 each.

Buddha's hand fruits are for both domestic consumption and export to neighboring countries such as China, Thailand, and Myanmar.