Violet onion planting on Ly Son island
Monday, 27/05/2013 16:55 (GMT+7)
Ly Son, a small and beautiful island of the central sea, is situated 15 nautical miles from the mainland and belongs to the central province of Quang Ngai. It is known as “the kingdom of onion and garlic”. Apart from people’s creativity and diligence, the “kingdom” is formed by the island's geological conditions, special and rare in Vietnam.
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| Ly Son island was formed by the eruption of a group of volcanoes. |
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| The volcano created grandiose sea cliffs, now supporting coral ecosystems and diverse aquatic animals. From the 181 metre high Thoi Loi mountain, the sea is extraordinarily beautiful with a blue pearl colour. |
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| The volcanic activity resulted in baked basalt stone. Through long term weathering, chemical and biological processes, these provide a source of basalt soil, rich in nutrition suitable for growing onion and garlic. |
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| Onion and garlic planting seems to be natural for residents here. |
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| Ly Son has some 310 hectares of onion and garlic. |
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| An Vinh commune field is upgraded from hill slopes. |
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 It is easy to harvest violet onions planted on Ly Son island. When pulled up, they are already clean of dirt and sand. |
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The violet onion of Ly Son island is perfumed and with a sweet flavour. It can be eaten raw, used to make
salad or as a spice for many tastes. |
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In harvest season, violet onion can be seen everywhere on Ly Son island. |
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The transport of onions, the hard work, is often done by men. |
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Onion is sorted and packed before being brought to the market. |
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After harvest season, farmers prepare for a new season. The basalt soil is taken from the foot of the mountains,
then a layer of sand is spread on it to keep water. The layer of basalt soil is replaced every 3-4 years. |