Ban flower - the flower of the mountains and forests of Dien Bien and the Northwest

No one knows when the Ban flower first appeared, but the Thai people only know that the story of the Ban flower is told through stories such as Pi Khum-Noong Ban, Cam Doi-Hien Hom... These are famous love stories of the Thai people, about couples who loved each other but were forbidden by their families, unable to be together, and then turned into flowers symbolizing the loyalty of a pure, beautiful love.

The elegant, pure beauty of Dien Bien white bauhinia flowers, usually blooming in March every year

The Bauhinia flower has five fan-shaped petals, with many colors such as purple, white, red, but the most common is still white. The flower only blooms for about a month and a half, peaking in March every year, and will fall off when it rains or winds. Year after year, as if on schedule, in March the Bauhinia flower blooms white all over the mountains and forests of the Northwest, creating a poetic, romantic scene.

Ms. Lo Thi Kien (Noong Chun village, Nam Thanh ward, Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province) said: “Since I was born, I have seen Bauhinia flowers. In the past, when going to herd buffaloes, cows, or go to collect firewood, everyone liked Bauhinia flowers. If they could not pick Bauhinia flowers, they would not go home. Because Bauhinia trees are tall, men and boys would climb up the tree to cut branches, and girls would stay at the base to pick each Bauhinia flower branch, picking each flower while chatting and joking with each other very happily. So in the past, the Thai people had a saying: 'The man cuts the Bauhinia, the man trims the branches'.”

When picking beautiful, fragrant Ban flowers, the young girls in the mountainous regions often put them in their long hair buns. Those who are married will put them in their “tang cau” (a type of jewelry) to enhance the beauty of Thai women. Many young couples have also fallen in love and become husband and wife from picking Ban flowers in the forest.

Thai women prepare dishes from bauhinia flowers

Ms. Luong Thi On (Pa Dong village, Thanh Xuong commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province) said: “In the past, in the blooming season, Thai boys and girls often invited each other to go to the forest to pick Ban flowers. Boys and girls would put flowers in each other's hair. When they returned home, they would drink water, chat, confide, and get to know each other. If they fell in love, the boy would tell his parents to ask permission to go to the girl's house to propose marriage. Through that, many couples got married.”

Not only is it a beautiful flower of the mountains and forests, the Thai ethnic people also bring the Bauhinia flower back to process into many delicious dishes such as: Bauhinia flower salad with galangal sprouts, sweet bamboo shoots or wild vegetables or Bauhinia flower stir-fried with garlic, stir-fried with buffalo or beef, Bauhinia flower cooked with pig's feet soup, Bauhinia flower cooked with dipping sauce of sour bamboo shoots, which will have a very rich and unforgettable astringent and sweet taste.

Thai women in traditional ethnic costumes at the opening night of the National Tourism Year and Dien Bien Ban Flower Festival 2024

Mr. Quang Van Ca (To Cuong village, Ang To commune, Muong Ang district, Dien Bien province) said: "From children to the elderly, when seeing the Bauhinia flowers, it is like seeing a pretty young girl, as white as the Bauhinia white petals. That is why, during the Bauhinia flower season, everyone must see, pick, and eat them like when they were young, like when boys and girls were dating. The elderly wish to live longer so they can see Bauhinia flowers year after year."

In the past, Bauhinia flowers only grew on hillsides and mountain ranges, but in recent years, Bauhinia flowers have been planted along the streets of Dien Bien Phu, creating a beautiful scene of mountains and forests. The Bauhinia flower festival is also held annually by Dien Bien province so that visitors to the historical land can learn more about the heroic fighting tradition of their ancestors, the unique culture of the ethnic minorities and capture beautiful moments with Bauhinia flowers.

Visitors are free to take photos and capture beautiful moments with the Bauhinia flowers.

Ms. Luong Thi On (Pa Dong village, Thanh Xuong commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province) added: "When tourists come to Dien Bien, everyone comes to take pictures where the beautiful Ban flowers bloom, everyone loves the Ban flowers. In general, tourists all come to see the Ban flowers, it's very crowded and fun."

On the Northwest roads, especially on the historic land of Dien Bien in these March days, the elegant and pure beauty of the blooming Ban flowers, spreading their fragrance throughout the mountains and forests, is an invitation for more and more tourists to come to the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien Ban Flower Festival 2024.

Source: https://vov.vn/du-lich/hoa-ban-loai-hoa-cua-nui-rung-dien-bien-va-tay-bac-post1084216.vov