Buckwheat Flower Season in Ha Giang

If you set foot in Ha Giang at the end of autumn, you will have a chance to experience the magic of the dreamy pink buckwheat fields stretching across the hills. Carrying a legend that not everyone knows, buckwheat flowers adorn what we in Vietnam call “cat ear-shaped” stones with warm incarnadine, inviting the nomads to discover such captivating beauty. This will be your insight into the buckwheat flower season in Ha Giang!They say that buckwheat blossoms, or “chez” as known by the Hmong, are the specialty of the northernmost land, because every year, just when the first monsoon starts blowing, these tiny white flowers simultaneously flourish, flooding the whole rocky plateau.

There are two types of buckwheat flowers. In areas of Cao Bang, you can find the white type. Meanwhile in Ha Giang, people often plant the purple buckwheat flower. Simple but loveable, modest but charming, buckwheat is harmonious with the green color of the forest and the grey color of the mountains which altogether creates an endless source of inspiration for art enthusiasts. But the most profound and beautiful feature of the flower is its meaning – slender in shape but full of energy and beauty, always overcomes fierce challenges of nature. As autumn reaches its end, the flowers become more splendid and attractive. With time, they will start to change color from white to purple pink, and finally dark red.

The white one is usually grown in several areas of Cao Bang. Meanwhile in Ha Giang, people often plant the purple buckwheat flower.

In order to promote the tourism potential of the region, Ha Giang authorities decided to increase the amount of buckwheat fields to attract more visitors. Every year, around October and November, there is a buckwheat flower festival, which features art performances and displays of buckwheat flower products, in order to celebrate the blossoming of these iconic flowers in Dong Van District in Ha Giang Province. This annual festival has been bewitching flower lovers, couples as well as photography enthusiasts year after year.

The History of Buckwheat Flower Season

It is said that this tiny flower forest with green leaves once saved a whole village from a severe famine that occurred when the old harvest season had been over way before the new one had arrived.

According to the legend, in the past, the people in the Northern mountainous region lived mainly on rice and corn. One year, the food ran out and the land had become barren, and the local people had to wander in search of food. Then, a strange yet pleasant fragrance filled the atmosphere and attracted the peasants to follow the ravine. Among the rocks, they discovered small white pink flowers whose nuts tasted as subtle as rice and corn. Since then, the Hmong have used the buckwheat flowers’ nuts as staples like maize and rice. The young buckwheat flower stem can be boiled and used as vegetables. When harvested, the crops can be ground into flour or cooked with wine and corn to brew a very unique type of wine. Local people also bake cakes from buckwheat grain. The buckwheat leaf is also used as trunk for cattle feed.

The Most Famous Stops for The Best Ha Giang Buckwheat

Thach Son Than (Quyet Tien town, Quan Ba District): the buckwheat fields are on the road to Quan Ba, about 3 kilometers from Bac Sum hill. This place offers adorable swings as well as lovely miniature houses and other decorative items to photograph. Newly married couples often flock to this location to enjoy the heart-touching moments with the gorgeous color of buckwheat flowers. Ticket price: VND10,000 / ticket.

Lung Cam Cultural Village (Sung La-Dong Van Valley): This is where the most number of flowers are and it’s also the best place to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of buckwheat flowers. In addition, Sung La also has the house of Pao and many fascinating rose gardens.

Ma Pi Leng Pass: the buckwheat field lies between two mountain ranges, which creates a stunning natural landscape. Because the people here start to sow the seeds later than those in Dong Van Valley normally do, not until mid-October do the flowers begin to wear a pinkish color and then become most stunning when November comes by.

The field under the Lung Cu Flagpole: At the foot of Lung Cu flagpole planted many buckwheat flowers to serve tourists visiting the flagpole. The flowers are grown in extremely eye-catching terraced fields giving tourists the most unforgettable scene of their life.

Trust me, it could be your biggest regret to miss a chance to watch one of the most romantic spectacles of the year. Come to Ha Giang, embrace the beautiful white and pink gowns of buckwheat flowers and let your soul free. Let us know when you fall in love with the place.

Thuong Ho