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Bauhinia flowers cast a spell over northern mountainous region

By Viet Linh, Ngoc Thanh   March 5, 2020 | 10:28 pm PT
March is a nice time of year to visit the northwest of Vietnam when the beautiful Bauhinia season peaks, painting the region white.
White Bauhinia flowers is a signature of northern mountainous provinces, often blossoming in early March.Driving along the national highway leading to Tia Mong village in Dien Bien Province at this time, one can see white Bauhinia flowers bloom under the scorching sunlight.

White Bauhinia is a signature of northern mountain villages like Tia Mong in Dien Bien Dong District, Dien Bien Province, often blossoming in early March.
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Driving up Chieu Ly Village in Muong Cha, an upland district in Dien Bien at this time of the year, one can see a forest of Bauhinia flowers blooming in white color.
Bauhinia flowers do not have a strong flavor but each flower has 4-5 petals.

Bauhinia flowers do not carry a heavy scent, with each decorated with 4-5 petals.
In the mind of local people, these flowers are linked with fairy tales about the faithful love between a couple. Legend has it that in the Northwest region there is a girl named Ban. She is beautiful and has a good voice, making many boys fall in love. But Ban had a crush on Khum, a boy who was good at hunting and farming.Bans father decided to marry her to the son of a rich man. Listening to his father discussing the wedding, Ban left home to find her lover, but at the moment Khum was going away. She then tied a towel on the stairs of Khums house and then climbed the pass to find him.Finally, Ban died of exhaustion where she turned into a white flowering tree. People call this tree Ban (Bauhinia flowers) and consider it a symbol of faithful love. As for Khum, when he came home, he didnt find Band and was exhausted and died, turned into a lonely bird.

Local legend has it that in the northwest there was a beautiful girl named Ban, blessed with a voice that could make any boy fall in love. However, she had a crush on Khum, a good hunter and farmer.

Overhearing her father discussing betrothing her to a rich man’s son, Ban left home to find her lover, but without success. Finally, she died of exhaustion and turned into a white flower locals call Ban or Bauhinia - a symbol of faithful love. Khum, who eventually passed away, turned into a lonely bird.
Bauhinia flowers have come into life and become an indispensable part of Thai ethnic minority people in the northern mountainous region, helping the community to stick together.

Bauhinia flowers have become an indispensable part of local Thai ethnic life.
The flowers only bloom once a year, from mid-February to March. The blooming season inspires many photographers.

The flowers only bloom once a year, from mid-February to March, inspiring many photographers.
The flowers are hidden in fog of the last days of winter in the northwest mountainous province. The districts such as Dien Bien Dong, Muong Cha, Tuan Giao, Tua Chua are where to admire blooming Bauhinia flowers.

Districts like Dien Bien Dong, Muong Cha, Tuan Giao, and Tua Chua are best for admiring blooming Bauhinia.
HMong women walk on narrow and dangerous mountainous roads surrounded by Bauhinia flowers to go to their fields. Dien Bien Province, around 500 kilometers to the west of Hanoi, is still a lesser-known destination on Vietnam’s tourism map.Dien Bien is home to the Dien Bien Phu battle which raged for 56 days before Vietnams victory that would spell the end of Frances colonial rule in Indochina and pave the way for Vietnams independence.

H'Mong women walk on narrow and dangerous mountainous roads surrounded by Bauhinia flowers to go to their fields.

Dien Bien Province, around 500 kilometers to the west of Hanoi, is still a lesser-known destination on Vietnam’s tourism map.

Dien Bien is home to the Dien Bien Phu battle which raged for 56 days before Vietnam's victory that would spell the end of France's colonial rule in Indochina and pave the way for Vietnam's independence.
 
 
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