The highlands of Yen Bai are bright with hawthorn flowers

Watch Yen Bai hawthorn flower season (cat apple flower) blooming pure white throughout Mu Cang Chai and Tram Tau. Save the experience of trekking Ta Chi Nhu and hunting for photos of extremely hot terraced fields!
YenBai - Warm spring, awakening many blooming flowers. In that brilliant picture of nature, in the highland districts of Mu Cang Chai and Tram Tau of the province, the pure and gentle beauty of hawthorn flowers (cat apples) stands out.
Taking advantage of the medlar flower season, Mu Cang Chai people develop a model of beekeeping for honey.
From late February to early April, the old forests on the Ta Chi Nhu mountain range, Tram Tau district suddenly brighten up with the pure white color of cat apple flowers. Small clusters of flowers grow interspersed among the green foliage, fluttering in the wind like snowflakes in the sky. That pure white color blends with the green color of the mountains and forests, creating an extremely poetic natural picture. The faint scent of cat apple blossoms gently spreads, carrying the breath of the Northwest mountains and forests, making anyone who comes here fall in love.
To fully admire the beauty of cat apple flowers, visitors can trek to the most beautiful passes in Yen Bai such as Khau Pha pass or conquer the "roof of Yen Bai" - Ta Chi Nhu. On the journey to conquer the craggy roads, visitors will admire the forests of cat apple flowers stretching endlessly like winding white silk strips embracing the mountains and forests. Besides the natural beauty, visitors also have the opportunity to experience the unique culture of ethnic minorities, enjoy highland dishes and drink apple wine - a famous specialty drink of Yen Bai.
The cat apple flower season not only brings captivating beauty but is also a symbol of the strong vitality of the highland people. Amidst the bumpy roads and desolate villages, cat apple flowers are like a fresh breeze, bringing faith and hope to the people here. The cat apple blossom season only lasts about 2 months. Therefore, in order not to miss the opportunity to admire the beauty of this flower, many people have taken the opportunity to plan a spring trip and sightseeing right after the Lunar New Year.
Ms. Phan Ha Anh - a Hanoi tourist shared: "I was really impressed when I first came to Yen Bai and saw the beauty of cat apple flowers. Unlike peach blossoms or brilliant plum flowers, cat apple flowers have an elegant and gentle beauty like gentle Hmong girls. The flowers are small and delicate, with delicate petals fluttering in the wind, spreading a gentle, elegant fragrance, creating a feeling of comfort and ease. I Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to return to Yen Bai to explore the unique cultural features of the Northwest region, feel the peace and relaxation of the mountains and forests and admire the beauty of the apple blossoms.
Currently, one of the places known as the "paradise" of cat apple flowers is Mu Cang Chai district. This place possesses extremely beautiful terraced fields, interspersed with brilliant apple trees, creating a picturesque scene. When coming here, visitors can freely admire, take souvenir photos and immerse themselves in the fresh, cool atmosphere.
In addition, you can also explore Hmong villages in communes: Nam Co, Nam Khat, Pung Luong, Lao Chai, Che Cu Nha, La Pan Tan - where there are shady ancient apple orchards. The cat apple flower season has been contributing to attracting tourists, promoting the development of highland tourism and improving people's lives.
In the past, medlar was a tree that grew naturally, but now people have focused on investing in development, expanding the area, becoming a key tree in economic development, while contributing to greening bare land, bare hills and mountains, preventing soil erosion, creating a sustainable ecological environment, and well protecting the existing forest area. The whole province currently has about 10,000 hectares of hawthorn trees, concentrated mainly in Tram Tau and Mu Cang Chai districts. On average each year, people in these two highland districts harvest 3,000 - 4,000 tons of fruit, bringing in tens of billions of dong in income.
Mr. Sung A Sao, Lao Chai commune, Mu Cang Chai district said: "My family has 9 hectares of hawthorn trees, earning an average of 150 - 200 million VND each year from selling the fruit. Thanks to the income from this tree, my family has been able to take care of their children's education, build a spacious house and buy many convenient items for the family."
From the practical benefits that the medlar tree brings, it is hoped that party committees, authorities, local people and tourists will always be conscious of protecting and promoting the value of the medlar tree, limiting excessive tourism exploitation. At the same time, it is associated with cultural preservation, natural landscape protection and economic development, contributing to improving people's lives.
Coming to Yen Bai, tourists can also visit many other famous tourist destinations such as:
Mu Cang Chai
Coming here, visitors can not only enjoy the beauty of terraced fields and the sea of white clouds on top of Cao Pha pass but also immerse themselves in the unique cultural festivals of the Mong people. Mu Cang Chai is a western highland district of Yen Bai province, 180km from Yen Bai city center, more than 300km northwest of Hanoi capital. 
La Pan Tan Commune
The journey to explore La Pan Tan commune brings you countless memorable experiences both in terms of beauty, culture and people here. If you discover La Pan Tan commune for the first time, you will probably be immediately overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery here.
Suoi Giang
Suoi Giang Yen Bai is located at an altitude of about 1,300 - 1,400 m above sea level, covered by layers of clouds all year round, plus the air is always extremely fresh and cool, making this place a very popular place for tourists to choose as a place to stop. 
Thac Ba Lake
Visit Thac Ba Lake, when traveling by boat, visitors will enjoy the fresh air amidst the vast water surface, sparkling with reflections of seemingly endless overlapping islands, to forget all the fatigue and troubles of life. 
Pu Nhu Waterfall
Yen Bai province is known to many people thanks to the impressive beauty of its charming natural scenery, the most famous is probably Mu Cang Chai. But few people know that this is also the place where the majestic and beautiful Pu Nhu waterfall echoes continuously.

Lao Cai 6550 view
Update day : 04/04/2024
Source : baoyenbai.com.vn Affiliate links
Monuments close by
See allNearby tourist attractions
See all


























