Tourists hunt for hawthorn flowers, have a very "chill" dinner under a hundred-year-old tree

Located at an altitude of 2,500m, Nam Nghiep is the highest village in Vietnam. The village has 135 households with 100% of the population being Mong ethnic people.

Thanks to the climate, Nam Nghiep has become a “paradise” of hawthorn trees, also known as wild apples. The total hawthorn growing area is over 1,200 hectares, of which 800 hectares are ancient trees with ages ranging from 300 to 500 years.

Hawthorn flowers begin to bloom from the end of February and are at their peak in March. At first glance, they look quite similar to plum blossoms. The flowers are ivory white, with 5 petals and yellow pistils. When they bloom, they form clusters that float like clouds. Not flashy or colorful, hawthorn has a rustic, simple, and shy beauty, but still has a bit of freedom and wildness like the mountains and forests and the resilient Mong people who have clung to the forests and mountains for generations.

The hawthorn season only lasts for a short time each year, so many tourists take advantage of the opportunity to “hunt” for flowers when they are at their peak. Since the beginning of March, Nam Nghiep has welcomed more than 20,000 visitors.

This year, to facilitate tourists to see the flowers, Ngoc Chien commune has established a working group to survey, select and build nearly 10 locations to “check-in” the most beautiful hawthorn flower gardens. At the same time, the government also encourages households to open more food and beverage services, homestays, ethnic costume rentals, tents, motorbike taxis, etc. to serve the needs of tourists.

Taking advantage of the "escape" from the dust of the city, Ms. Hoang My Hanh (Hanoi) and her friends had a 2-day, 1-night experience trip to Nam Nghiep.

“My trip was quite spontaneous, without any plans, so I couldn’t rent a homestay for the weekend because it was full, so I had to go on a weekday. Currently, there are 6 households in the village running homestays and a cafe on the top of the hill to watch the sunset. However, it is still not enough to meet all the guests at this time. As far as I know, all 6 homestays are fully booked for the weekend until the end of April,” said My Hanh.

Ms. Hanh also said that the road to the village is still a dirt road, so cars cannot reach the village. Tourists can hire motorbike taxis or take pickup trucks, high-chassis vehicles, etc.

Despite the short stay, Ms. My Hanh still experienced many interesting activities. “I see that here, visitors have many options depending on their interests and health. The most relaxing option is to walk around the village, admire the hawthorn gardens in full bloom, and take photos to check in. But I think that no photo can describe the beauty of this place, it is actually much more beautiful outside.

The village also has a stream and a hilltop cafe with panoramic views. If you are more energetic, you can book a tour with a local guide to climb Ta Dong mountain in the morning and return the same day or an overnight tour on Ta Chi Nhu peak with porters, food and drinks, and tents. The next day, you can go down to Ngoc Chien commune and move to Lut village to bathe in natural hot springs and soak your feet to relax."

The most impressive thing for Ms. Hanh was the dinner by the Hmong fire under the shade of a 100-year-old hawthorn tree. In the peaceful and quiet space, the flickering red flames, the swaying branches of flowers in the cold wind, the faint scent of flowers or the fragrant smell of grilled meat, visitors can sit and eat, chat with friends and let their minds drift in the simple peace, these are moments that make everyone fall in love.

“On this trip, I was also quite impressed with the way the village does tourism. Although it is just starting, the people here, especially the young people, have very good thinking, work systematically and are very united with each other, and know how to take advantage of social networks to promote the village. They are very proud that more and more tourists come here, and the income from tourism is also much higher than from farming,” Ms. Hanh shared.