Spring atmosphere pervades popular highland towns

By Huynh Phuong January 26, 2021 | 10:42 pm PT

At this time of year, spring flowers bloom across Vietnam's popular highland towns to herald upcoming Tet, the country's biggest holiday.

Two HMong girls carry yellow mustard flowers on their backs amid plum blossoms in Na Ka Village, a place known as spring paradise in the middle of the mountain, about 16 km from Moc Chau Farm Town in the northern mountainous province of Son La. Since the beginning of December, Moc Chau has put on a new coat with white color of early blooming plum blossoms, a symbol of spring season.

Two H'mong girls carry yellow mustard flowers on their backs amid plum blossoms in Na Ka Village, known as "spring paradise" in the middle of the mountains, about 16 kilometers from Moc Chau farm town.
Since the beginning of December, Moc Chau in the northern mountainous province of Son La has donned the white coat of early blooming plum blossoms, a symbol of spring.
Tet, which marks the coming of the Lunar New Year, peaks on Feb. 12 this year.

Moc Chau, around 200 kilometers to the west of Hanoi, is a less crowded tourist destination compared with Ha Giang and Sa Pa but the town has been much loved by tourists for its fame as a kingdom of multicolored flowers at this time of the year, giving tourists a reason to ride their motorbikes up the plateau. The fields of yellow cabbage flowers, the green of the vast tea plantations and white plum flowers in the shimmering sunlight welcome tourists to the remote place, which is characterized by year-round cool climate and chilly mist.

Moc Chau, around 200 kilometers to the west of Hanoi, is a less crowded tourist destination compared with Ha Giang Province and Sa Pa Town of neighboring Lao Cai Province.
The district is famed as a kingdom of yellow cabbage flowers, vast green tea plantations, white plum flowers and year-round cool climate.

A H'mong mother holds her son in Pa Phach Village of Dong Sang Commune, located on National Highway 6, about five kilometers from the Moc Chau intersection.

A man walks amid a apricot foests blooming in white on Moc Chau hills on January 9. Apricot blossom simultaneously for 2-3 weeks, covering valleys and hillsides.

A man strolls through an apricot orchard on Jan. 9.
Apricots blossom simultaneously for two to three weeks, covering Moc Chau's valleys and hillsides.

Peach blossoms freezed in Sa Pa on January 11 as the famous highlands town was covered in frost and snow. Mountainous areas in northern Vietnam, including Moc Chau earlier this month suffered a cold spell caused by a strong cold front that sent temperatures plunging to below zero and covered the region in snow.

Peach blossoms froze in Sa Pa on Jan. 11 as the famous highlands town was covered in frost and snow.
Mountainous areas in northern Vietnam, including Moc Chau, earlier this month suffered a cold spell caused by a strong cold front that sent temperatures plunging to below zero.

A couple kiss inside a peach blossom forest in Sa Pa.

A couple shares a kiss inside a peach blossom orchard in Sa Pa.

Snow falls in a small village at the foot of Nhì Co San on Y Ty Mountain on January 12 with flower fields covered in white snow. Y Ty, a commune in Lao Cai Province, is famed among Vietnamese trekkers for its beautiful scenery at cloud level.

Snow covers a small village at the foot of Nhiu Co San Mountain in Y Ty Commune on Jan. 12.
Y Ty in Lao Cai Province is famed among Vietnamese trekkers for its beautiful scenery at cloud level.

This year, cherry trees have bloomed early on the slopes of Lang Biang Mountain and Trai Mat - Cau Dat, popular check-in destinations in Da Lat, a top tourist town in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
For years, cherry blossoms have been a symbol of Da Lat, always blooming in spring.

Photos by Le Thanh Duy