Where love blooms

Story: Ha Quyen
Photos: Nguyen Tan Tuan

Welcome the New Year with a flower-viewing journey through the highlands.

The wild Himalayan cherry, Prunus cesacoides, is hailed as the muse of the mountains when spring begins to stir. Winter’s lingering chill fades as clusters of delicate blooms tremble open, the first gentle signal that spring is knocking at the forest’s door.

Himalayan cherry blossoms tint the roadsides pink in many famous parts of the Lam Vien Plateau in Lam Dong, Mang Den in Quang Ngai, and Sapa and Mu Cang Chai in Lao Cai. These highland regions are blessed with cool temperatures year-round and ideal soil conditions for this species to thrive. Having originated in East Asia, Himalayan cherry trees have adapted to Vietnam’s climate and are now grown here.

Himalayan cherry blossoms have five delicate blush pink petals and deep red stamens. This graceful “spring fairy” has long been a symbol of new beginnings and hope. Each year, when new buds appear, tourists travel long distances to find these beautiful wild flowers, following winding, secluded mountain roads where small villages nestle against the hillsides. Himalayan cherry trees usually start to bloom from late December to early January, with the peak flower season in February, sometimes lingering into March. Thanks to this long season, visitors have plenty of choices for finding the perfect spot to admire this mountain muse.

It’s best to photograph these radiant blooms in the soft light of morning or the warm golden glow of late afternoon. Many travelers rent traditional ethnic costumes – embroidered tops, flowing skirts, colorful headdresses, and silver ornaments – and pose for unforgettable photos among the blooms.

As a photographer devoted to the natural landscape, Nguyen Tan Tuan has spent years tracing Vietnam’s highland roads in step with the blooming Himalayan cherry trees. Embodied by the mountains’ poetic muse, his vivid and romantic photographs capture the essence of spring.