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As the cool winds of late autumn and early winter begin to sweep across the hillsides, the rocky plateau of Northeast Vietnam dons a new, strangely romantic and captivating cloak: the color of buckwheat flowers. This characteristic flower of the mountains and forests has long transcended its traditional food value, becoming a highlight attracting tourists and photographers from all over. The image of tiny flower fields stretching precariously across the jagged rocks has transformed this northernmost region of the country into a dreamy, majestic, yet incredibly endearing natural landscape.
The ideal time to admire this surreal beauty is from the end of October to the end of December. This is when buckwheat flowers bloom profusely, creating a characteristic landscape stretching across hillsides, terraced fields, winding along roads, and at the foot of mountains. The allure of this flower lies in the way its colors change with time and temperature.
When visiting during the buckwheat flower season, tourists can also encounter images of Hmong ethnic children, barefoot, holding hands with younger siblings, their innocent faces playing in the flower fields.
When they first bloom, buckwheat flowers are pure white or delicate pink. Later, as temperatures drop and cold air envelops them, the flowers gradually turn a deep pink or purple before wilting. This pinkish-purple hue is considered the most beautiful time of year, when the petals cluster together in a cone shape, creating a magnificent and poetic sea of flowers amidst the majestic mountain scenery.
The vibrant colors of flowers blanket the hillsides, terraced fields, winding along the roads and at the foot of the mountains, creating a characteristic landscape of the rocky plateau.
The peak blooming period lasts about a month, depending on the weather conditions each year. Tourists who love the flowering season should plan ahead to have the most complete experience and enjoy the beauty of this unforgettable flower.
Although buckwheat flowers are found in many provinces in the Northeast, Tuyen Quang remains the most outstanding destination. Especially in Tuyen Quang, the pink hues of buckwheat flowers stretch across vast fields, perched precariously on jagged rocks and hidden behind ancient villages of ethnic minorities. All of this blends with the majestic mountains, terraced rice paddies interspersed with cornfields, and winding streams, creating a multifaceted and poetic natural landscape.
Buckwheat flowers are white when they first bloom, then gradually turn pink and purple before wilting.
Visiting during the buckwheat flower season, tourists can also witness unique cultural scenes. Lolo or Hmong ethnic girls, dressed in their colorful brocade dresses amidst the endless fields of flowers, create a characteristic image of this mountainous region. Tourists can rent traditional ethnic costumes for photos, preserving the unique charm of the rocky plateau. However, tourists should note that the weather during the peak buckwheat flower season in Tuyen Quang is quite cold, so preparing thermal clothing and warm jackets is essential.
This is also a time that attracts a large number of tourists to admire and take artistic photographs.
Furthermore, the image of a Hmong child, barefoot, holding hands with a younger sibling, playing innocently in a field of flowers, with their cheerful and mischievous laughter, are everyday, simple yet familiar moments that make visitors feel as if they are returning to their childhood many years ago.
In the past, buckwheat was primarily grown for its seeds, which were used to make cakes and other food reserves to stave off hunger during the lean season. These buckwheat seeds were also used in traditional Eastern medicine, having a slightly bitter and pungent taste, and a neutral nature, with effects such as promoting diuresis, reducing swelling, and clearing heat and detoxifying. In addition, local people still use buckwheat as an ingredient in many traditional dishes such as buckwheat cakes, wine, and other highland specialties.
However, thanks to the strong development of the tourism industry, this flower, which was once thought to only have food value, has become more widely known to tourists. Nowadays, to serve the needs of tourists for sightseeing and photography, the people of Tuyen Quang have planted flowers in staggered seasons, extending the blooming period from the beginning of autumn to the end of winter. As a result, tourists can admire the flowers at more times of the year, not just during festivals.
Here, in addition to admiring the flowers, visitors can also explore the magnificent natural landscape with its towering mountains, terraced rice fields interspersed with corn fields, and winding streams at the foot of the mountains.
To celebrate the cultural and tourism value of this flower, the locality often organizes the Buckwheat Flower Festival with many unique activities. At the festival, visitors can not only admire the flower fields but also experience a series of unique cultural and sporting activities, contributing to a colorful journey.
The buckwheat flower festival is now not only a tourism symbol but also a major source of income for the people of this border region, making a significant contribution to the sustainable socio-economic development of Tuyen Quang province, transforming it from a disadvantaged area into a prominent cultural and natural destination in the Northeast region.
