"White Plateau" Bac Ha in plum blossom season

In spring, Bac Ha district becomes a "white plateau" when plum blossoms bloom on the hillsides and in the villages of the Mong people.

Bac Ha has two famous plum varieties: Tam Hoa plum and Ta Van plum. Tam Hoa plum flowers are concentrated in the center of the district, blooming from January to the end of February. Now is the time when Ta Van plums in higher areas bloom, the most beautiful is Ta Van Chu village.

Ta Van Chu village is about 20 km northwest of Bac Ha district center and 115 km from Sa Pa town. The village is located near communes in Bac Ha and Simacai districts, where there are Coc Ly, Lung Phinh, and Can Cau markets.

Every year, during the plum blossom season in Ta Van Chu, Mr. Nguyen Van Gioi, 36 years old, who works in tourism in Lao Cai, comes here to take photos. The road from the district center to the village is quite convenient, suitable for both motorbikes and high-chassis cars, the air is fresh and cool. Therefore, Ta Van Chu village has become a place where many tourists and photographers come to "hunt" for spring photos.

When he arrived at the village in late February, Mr. Gioi saw plum blossoms blooming brilliantly, turning the villagers’ gardens white. According to him, this year’s flower season was more beautiful than previous years. Several old plum trees stood in clusters, the flowers blooming at the same time, making the white color even more prominent.

Plum flowers are smaller than peach flowers and grow in clusters on branches. The flowers have 5 thin white petals and yellow pistils.

This year, plum blossom season in Ta Van Chu lasts until about mid-March.

Some plum gardens charge 20,000 VND per person for admission, while others are free. Visitors can rent traditional costumes for photos for 50,000 VND, Gioi said.

Coming here, visitors can easily see the locals wearing colorful traditional brocade costumes, living under plum trees or in rammed earth houses with yin-yang tiled roofs.

The locals mainly speak the Mong language, and can speak a little Mandarin, but they are friendly to tourists. Tourists should go with a local guide if they want to exchange and learn more about the life and culture of the locals here.

Visitors should come to Ta Van Chu on a sunny day to get beautiful photos with the pure white color of plum blossoms and the bright yellow color of canola flowers.

Since 2006, Ta Van Chu village has been approved by Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee for the project of Mong ethnic eco-village model. Currently, the village is still pristine, without many shops or overnight accommodations. Tourists can bring snacks and drinks to visit during the day and stay overnight in Bac Ha town.

This year, the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival - Spring Addiction is held from March 8 to 10. In addition to admiring white plum blossoms, the festival has attractive activities such as traditional horse racing, Dao ethnic fire dancing, climbing to conquer Ba Me Con peak, and Bac Ha Temple festival.