VI
These days, if you have the chance to visit Thanh Duc commune, Tay Ninh province, you will witness the rubber trees changing their attire with many different colors. From above, the rubber forest looks like an autumn carpet, where a small dirt road quietly cuts through the remaining shades of yellow, brown, red, and light green.
One afternoon at the Go Dau rubber plantation in Thanh Duc, photographer Hai Trieu managed to capture some of the most beautiful moments of the year before the sun set. Hai Trieu is deeply committed to capturing emotionally charged everyday moments, from landscapes to people in the Southern region of Vietnam, especially his hometown of Tay Ninh. With his keen eye and unique storytelling style, he transforms even the smallest details, from a red leaf to a long stretch of trees, into poetic visual discoveries.
Once a year, the trees simultaneously shed their old leaves to concentrate sap on nourishing the new shoots, creating a rare seasonal change of color in the tropical forest.
The forests of Southern Vietnam during the season of changing leaves.
Tall, straight rubber trees stretch endlessly across the Thanh Duc rubber plantation in Tay Ninh.
The Thanh Duc rubber plantation is not merely a production site but also embodies the unique landscape and cultural values of the Southern region of Vietnam. Rows of rubber trees are planted in straight, even lines, creating long, winding "green corridors." Each year, at the end of the dry season, the rubber trees shed their leaves simultaneously, transforming the forest into a completely different landscape. The leaves gradually change from green to yellow, orange, and brown, covering the pathways and the ground, creating a unique "autumn" amidst the familiar yet strange tropical climate. This scene evokes memories of distant temperate regions, yet retains the rustic charm of the sun-drenched southern land.
"When the drone flew up, that feeling became even more pronounced. From above, the farm appeared like a giant painting, where rows of straight rubber trees stretched to the very edge of the horizon. Amidst that scenery, humans suddenly felt incredibly small," Hai Trieu said.
Rubber is a perennial industrial crop that has been closely associated with the Southeast region of Vietnam for hundreds of years.
At different times of the year, the rubber forest takes on a different appearance. But for travel and photography enthusiasts, the leaf-changing season from the end of November to around March of the following year is considered the most beautiful time to visit. During this time, the entire forest enters a period of quiet transformation: the familiar green gradually gives way to a warm palette of yellow, orange, and red, interwoven in the gentle sunlight of the late afternoon... The path through the forest, covered with fallen leaves, is likened to stepping into a scene from a Korean drama, or perhaps a European birch forest in autumn.
Unlike many evergreen tropical trees, rubber trees have a distinct leaf-shedding cycle.
People say that the rubber tree leaf-shedding season in Tay Ninh is as beautiful as the maple leaf season in Western countries.
After the old leaves fall, new shoots silently emerge, signaling the start of a new growth cycle and the harvest season. Perhaps that's why many say the rubber tree leaf-shedding season in the Southeast of Vietnam is just as beautiful as the maple leaf season in colder climates. And when spring arrives, the new buds sprout, completing a cycle, allowing the forest to continue its quiet but vibrant story. That moment of "leaf-shedding," though brief, is enough to captivate visitors, enough to entice photographers to patiently wait and capture the delicate beauty of nature.
Red rubber tree leaves in the afternoon sun
Beyond its visual beauty, the rubber plantation is intimately connected to the lives of generations of rubber tappers. The forest trails, latex collection cups, rubber tapping knives, and the sound of motorbikes at dawn have become familiar sights, contributing to the quiet yet enduring rhythm of life here. Therefore, rubber is not only an industrial crop with long-term economic value, but also a part of the memories, livelihoods, and ecological landscape associated with Thanh Duc, Tay Ninh.
Join Travellive on a tour of the Thanh Duc rubber plantation through the lens of photographer Hai Trieu:
From above, the farm appears like a giant painting created by time.
Rubber trees are not just an industrial crop, but also a part of the landscape and memories of this land.
As the old leaves fall, new shoots quietly emerge, heralding a new season.
Fallen leaves blanket the pathways, transforming the farm into a picturesque, cinematic setting.
The quiet dirt road cuts through the changing shades of yellow, brown, and red of the seasons.
Amidst the rubber forest during the leaf-changing season, humans appear smaller and move more slowly.
A quiet yet vibrant cycle of the southern forests and land.
