Northwest in full bloom

Vigorous blossoms in wintry frost

Wintertime in the Northwest is just exotic. Against the paralyzing chills and punishing frosts, flowers somehow still manage to bud and bloom in vigor despite their seeming frailty.

Peach blossoms in Sapa are heavily concentrated on Olong tea hills, 8km from the town along National Highway 4D towards the Silver waterfall and O Quy Ho pass. Here by the sunset, visitors are to be draped in the mist of Sapa, which drenches eerily glowing pink peach blossom trees in rows, blooming gleefully in the midst of lush green tea hills. The flowers are multilayered with numerous thin petals, yellow pistils and scrawny branches. The prime blooming time falls in November and December.

White mustard flowers in Moc Chau do abound all year round, but at their finest in late November and early December. The pure white shades of white mustards fully drape hills and stretch from glen to glen… Best spots to admire white mustard flowers include Moc Chau farm, Na Ka valley, Ang hamlet pine forest, Lun hamlet or Pa Phach hamlet…

Mustard yellows: Late November or December is also the high time for blooming mustard yellows across mountains. The vegetables are ubiquitously grown on mountain furrows, then left shriveled to yield flowers and seeds reserved for the next season. Mustard yellows are frail and sprinkle all over on branches of merely two handspans, making glens and mountains a stunning patchwork that seems to warm up the bitter wintry hails.

Sapa peach blossoms are still first and foremost, fading and glowing pink like delicate messengers of the upland springtime. Perennial peach blossom trees may live up hundreds of years, strutting scabrous trunks, but still manage to yield tiny flowers to warm up the whole bleak midwinter day.

Raging white apricot and plum blossoms of Moc Chau

Up to the weather, plum and apricot blossoms may come into bloom before Lunar New Year. The bloom lasts two to three weeks, and at its best between late January and mid-February. Some finest sightseeing spots for the flowers in the Northwest include Moc Chau, the trek to Long Sap border gate, Phieng Canh hamlet, Long Luong or Ba Khe zone…

Tantalizing white pear blossoms in Lai Chau

Wilting plum blossoms give rise to maiden pear ones. All over scabrous trunks, raging white blossoms start to smile with thick petals and tenderly perfume the air. Should one wish to admire the sparkling floral firmament of the Northwest, let’s head for Dien Bien in March. In its Bauhinia festival, along National Highway 6D to Pha Din pass, Chieng So tower, Muong Phang, etc. bauhinias do abound. The flowers have five petals in strong resemblance of two joined hearts. Bauhinias symbolize purity, ethereal charm and faithfulness of ethnic maidens. In their ethnic gastronomy, bauhinias are also an integral ingredient reputed for its signature aroma and taste.

Azaleas here and there

Hoang Lien National Park is the vast kingdom of over 30 species of azaleas, with red ones predominating. Azaleas grow in thick bushes all over cliffs and mountains.

Fiery bombax on Pha Din pass

Fiery bombax is synonymous with wilting spring and raging sumer. Bombax are known for their flaming red and thick, elongated petals. Despite the barren trunks and half-shut budding leaves, bombaxes still proudly come into bloom all over hills and mountains. The reach their best on Pha Din pass in Lunar March.

Mexican sunflowers in glazing gold

Mexican sunflowers… are draped in their recognizable fresh and misty yellow. Between October and December all over hills, Mexican sunflowers come into raging bloom, warming up the whole dreary and eerie gray backdrop of the Northwest and lending a romantic, tranquil vibe to the air. Muong La, Phong Tho, Na Son, Muong Nhe or Muong Te… are best spots to admire Mexican sunflowers.

Trekking over crooked hillside trails to explore the mountainous charm draped in glazing flowers, further enlivening your vacations in hinterlands.

Minh Thu

(Source: Vietnam Today 1.2022)