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Story: Huynh Phuong
Photos: Nguyen Tan Tuan
Spring always arrives early in the highlands of Mu Cang Chai, in Yen Bai province, accompanied by a special messenger: wild peach blossoms, known as “tớ dày” in the H’Mong language.
Despite the travel distance, these pink flowers draw many visitors to the high mountains of Northwest Vietnam. They come to enjoy this “pink space” amidst the rugged hills. Much like “Mai anh dao flowers” (a type of cherry blossom) that herald the arrival of spring in Dalat, wild peach flowers are a quintessential spring bloom in Mu Cang Chai, blooming around late December and the Western New Year. This hardwood tree blooms according to its altitude, with flowers appearing earlier in higher regions. The blooming season extends until the end of the Lunar New Year.
In villages like Trong Tong and Trong Pao Sang in La Pan Tan commune, situated above 1,000 meters, the flowers bloom the earliest. Later, visitors can enjoy these flowers in other locations, such as Thao Chua Chai in Che Cu Nha commune, and in the communes of Mo De, Nam Khat, Pung Luong, and De Xu Phinh, stretching all the way to Lao Chai commune.
These flowers have five delicate pink petals with long red pistils. They grow in clusters on branches that gently sway in the wind. The flowers evoke a princess, resplendent in pink attire, chasing away the gloomy cold of winter. Bright pink trees growing beside traditional houses or lining the roads form scenes like those in a romantic movie, enchanting visitors. Some ancient wild peach trees stand over 20 meters tall, with broad canopies, embodying resilience against the region’s harsh weather.
The blossom season attracts photographers from various regions, eager to capture the scene’s beauty. First-time visitors are often overwhelmed by the sea of blossoms spread below, resembling flowing pink ribbons extending through the valleys when viewed from above.
Beyond enjoying the flowers in Mu Cang Chai, tourists can explore the area’s unique traditional culture during the blooming season. The H’Mong people see the beauty of tớ dày flowers as a metaphor for the vitality and allure of young women, who win the hearts of lovesick young men in the village. The blossom season coincides with the most joyful spring gatherings of the H’Mong people. At these events, young men and women meet, practice soulful flute melodies, enjoy the lively sounds of traditional khèn bamboo pipes, and play traditional ball-tossing games in their village.
The tớ dày is an indigenous species. To conserve and propagate these trees, local authorities encourage the public to plant new trees at schools, institutions, and—interspersed with peach trees—along the roadsides. In De Xu Phinh village of De Xu Phinh commune, a “Village of Happiness” model has been developed. According to this, before getting married, each couple is encouraged to plant a tớ dày tree in the forest, symbolizing a prayer to nature for enduring happiness. Furthermore, the local government has implemented strict measures to reduce the unauthorized cutting and removal of this species from the woods. Efforts are made to identify the blooming trees’ location and organize motorbike-taxis to take tourists to these areas. Thanks to these measures, La Pan Tan now boasts one of the largest tớ dày forests in Mu Cang Chai, contributing to a new and unique tourism product that should help the district toward its goal of becoming a “designated tourist destination” by 2025.
