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Vinh Dav
The first days of the new calendar year witness the most significant changes in nature. The cold winter with its bare, leafless branches gradually fades away. After spring rains, tender green buds and tiny blossoms begin to sprout from once-bare branches. Nature seems to revive after a long winter’s slumber. Flowers bloom in myriad colors. Join Heritage Magazine on a journey through the valleys in the northern mountains to admire the spring flowers.
The earliest flower to bloom is the “tớ dày” – a five-petalled, pale pink flower with long red stamens. Forming large clusters on tall trees, this flower symbolizes fierce vitality, blooming only in harsh weather. The colder the temperature, the more vivid its color. Its blooming heralds the H’Mong people’s Tet, usually about a month before the Lunar New Year. In Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, stretches of these flowers can be found in the communes of Mo De, Che Cu Nha, De Xu Phinh, Nam Khat, etc., with the highest concentration in La Pan Tan.
From the end of January to early February, as the weather grows warmer and less dry, the plum trees in the valleys of the Moc Chau Plateau start blooming. Here, plum trees are not sparse but densely planted. When in full bloom, the area looks like an endless white carpet stretching from one valley to the next. Plum blossoms form thick clusters, with delicate petals enveloping yellow stamens. After about two weeks, they fall with the wind, leaving behind tiny green fruit buds.
Many places like Tan Lap, Phieng Canh, Na Ka, Ban Ang, Van Ho, and Ba Phach have beautiful plum blossoms, but in recent years, Mu Nau has become the most beautiful and pristine plum blossom valley in Moc Chau. After traversing many steep and dangerous roads, the white valley appears at an altitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level. The plum trees here bloom more evenly than those in the lower valleys, with many ancient plum orchards planted on mountain slopes, interspersed with mossy rocks, ancient cliffs, and virgin forests.
At the end of February, nature sings its seasonal transition song, when the biting cold is about to pass, awakening the rocky plateau of Ha Giang. The season of blossoming rocks has arrived. The landscape brightens with the deep pink of peach blossoms, the pure white of plum and pear flowers, and the yellow interspersed with white of mustard-flower fields along the sharp mountain slopes. The presence of local ethnic minority people, walking along the roads, adds life to this springtime canvas… Most prominent and familiar are the peach blossoms. Dry branches burst with small, light pink flowers. The thick and firm petals embody the vigorous life in this harsh climate. This pink hue appears throughout the journey on National Highway 4C, from Quan Ba through Yen Minh to Pho Cao, stretching through Sa Phin, Lung Tao to Lung Cu, then back to Dong Van town and onward to Meo Vac, through the treacherous lands of Mau Due – Du Gia to return to Ha Giang city. The peach blossoms are most abundant in the Sung La Valley, and nearby locations like Lao Xa, and Sang Tung.
A new location where peach trees blossom at the end of February is Nhiu Co San village in Sang Ma Sao commune, Bat Xat, Lao Cai. The road here is quite challenging, with the terrain dramatically divided by deep valleys and some of Vietnam’s tallest mountains. Nestled in the wild mountains are picturesque villages and vibrant peach orchards that bloom in the spring. As the peach blossoms here begin to fade, about 140km to the east, the plum blossoms of Ta Van Chu in Bac Ha, Lao Cai, start to bloom, covering the sky in white. Here, plum trees are planted in large orchards, turning swathes of the forest into pristine white valleys and surrounding old houses that sit contemplatively within the gardens.
More than 100km away, in Sau Chua village, Sapa, Lao Cai, the late-blooming peach trees start to display vibrant colors from the end of February to early March. The peach trees here are diverse, ranging from ancient trees to ones that are newly planted.
As March arrives and the weather warms, the ancient docynia trees in Nam Nghiep village, Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district, Son La province, start to bloom. Their ivory-white flowers display a simple and natural beauty, harmoniously set against the dark yellow earth and the peaceful homes of H’Mong people.
Although the red flowers of the bombax ceiba trees have begun to bloom throughout the forests, there’s still time to admire the deep pink of peach blossoms for those who haven’t yet had the chance to embark on a flower-watching journey. The peach trees in Vang Cha Phin, Cao Ma Po, and Quan Ba, Ha Giang usually bloom the latest, only revealing their full beauty from the beginning to the middle of March, when they are heavily laden with flowers.
Spring often evokes memories of youth, of everything fresh and full of life. This is a chance to feel young again, and to embrace the most beautiful moments of spring with its flowers and nature. These moments will become beautiful memories, helping us to balance our spirit against the pressures of life, ready for new and exciting beginnings.
