A cooperative director in Vinh Phuc, along with his team, spent nearly a month installing 5,000 meters of twisted electric cables and almost 2,000 specialized bulbs to create a striking rendition of the Vietnamese national flag - covering 8,800 square meters - using a dragon fruit orchard as their canvas.

A video showing the spectacular red-and-yellow star flag illuminated from above recently went viral across social media platforms, drawing admiration for its scale and creativity. The glowing image, formed entirely by strategically placed lighting in a dragon fruit farm in Vinh Yen, Vinh Phuc, was the brainchild of members of Thung Lung Thanh Long (La Pitaya Valley) Cooperative.

The initiative combines agriculture and eco-tourism, according to Nguyen Huu Cong, director of the cooperative, who shared the inspiration behind the project with VietNamNet.

Mr. Cong said the idea was first implemented in November 2024, rooted in the cooperative’s routine practice of lighting up dragon fruit plants at night to stimulate off-season blooming.

"Given that lighting is a standard part of our cultivation method, we thought - why not reconfigure the system to create the largest illuminated Vietnamese flag ever?" he explained.

Spanning 8,800 square meters, the flag is visible to passengers flying in or out of Noi Bai Airport, offering a unique aerial perspective.

To complete the massive flag, Mr. Cong’s team used roughly 5,000 meters of twisted electric cable, nearly 2,000 agricultural bulbs, electric control cabinets, and specialized circuit breakers for leak and shock prevention. The installation, carried out by nearly 10 people, took about one month to complete.

Originally, the dragon fruit farm was used solely for cultivation and had no visitors except for staff. The lighting system was simple, using soft copper wire powered by household electricity - sufficient for functional needs but lacking in durability and safety.

For the flag display, however, the team upgraded to outdoor-grade wiring, dividing circuits into smaller branches. Every 30 bulbs, they installed a circuit breaker to ensure electrical safety, and waterproof sockets were used for each light fixture.

"In regular farming, growers often use lightweight wiring that can be packed up after use. But because we keep the flag structure up year-round, we needed something more permanent - weather-resistant, visually clean, and safe for visitors," Mr. Cong added.

The most complex part, he noted, was designing a safe yet effective electrical layout that wouldn’t interfere with the plants' growth.

Next came the challenge of properly shaping the flag and star across the vast orchard. The team used drones to observe from above and stationed staff on poles to manually adjust the angles and alignments for two weeks.

The final touch was calculating how to distribute the lighting for maximum visual effect. To prevent the yellow star from blending into the red background, the team installed a separate outline circuit with bulbs spaced every 50cm. The red sections used lights spaced 2.5 meters apart.

Despite the effort involved, the team feels deeply satisfied with the outcome.

What was once a quiet agricultural site is now a glowing spectacle, drawing nighttime visitors who come specifically to take photos with the one-of-a-kind light display. Some air passengers have even managed to photograph the flag mid-flight.

"The red-and-yellow star flag is illuminated nightly and will remain a permanent part of our cooperative’s operations," Mr. Cong shared. "It not only promotes our local agricultural products and enhances the province’s appeal as a travel destination, but it also expresses our patriotic pride and commitment to community values."

 Thao Trinh