Rhododendron forest in full bloom on Pu Ta Leng peak

LAI CHAU - Colorful rhododendron flowers are blooming brightly on the top of Pu Ta Leng, creating a "fairy tale" scene, attracting trekking tourists.

Pu Ta Leng Peak, part of the Hoang Lien Son range, is located in Tam Duong district, about 20 km from Lai Chau city. Pu Ta Leng is 3,049 m high, the third highest mountain peak discovered in Vietnam, after Fansipan (3,143 m, Lao Cai) and   Pu Si Lung (3,083 m, Lai Chau ),   according to Lai Chau Provincial Electronic Information Portal.

The road to Pu Ta Leng peak from Si Thau Chai village is where you can see the most colorful rhododendron forests. This road is more difficult than the road from Ho Thau or Ta Leng village, but more beautiful.

In addition to the typical dense forest with many ancient trees, the low forest floor has a lot of bamboo and cardamom, this place also attracts mountain climbing enthusiasts when every March and April, colorful rhododendrons in the high forest floor bloom together. Photographer Tran Thuong (Meo Gia), 42 years old, from Hanoi, is passionate about exploring and conquering Pu Ta Leng peak in mid-March when the rhododendron flowers are at their most brilliant. He said that climbing to the top is not easy because it goes through many steep terrain sections, the distance up and down is 30 km, but the reward is completely worth it when "witnessing a beautiful scene like a fairy tale". At an altitude of about 2,900 m, visitors feel like they are lost in a fairyland. Mountain climbers call this place "Northwest Rhododendron Capital" or "Pu Ta Leng Fairy Garden" because it gathers many tall trees with wide canopies and beautiful flowers. Pu Ta Leng Peak has about 30 different flower species, all kinds of red, pink, yellow, white flowers blooming together. There are hundreds of years old rhododendron trees, with large, rough trunks, and some trees growing on cliffs.

Rhododendrons are found in many forests in the Northwest such as Yen Bai and Lao Cai, but Pu Ta Leng is one of the mountain peaks with the most flowers. In some areas, visitors will be able to see the flowers in bloom and walk under the forest canopy with falling rhododendron petals.

Rhododendron flowers have thick, straight petals and long pistils. The flowering plant is a shrub or tree with thick leaves, both simple and compound.

To see the most beautiful rhododendron flowers, visitors can choose a two-day-one-night or best three-day-two-night mountain climbing route, conquering the mountain peak and admiring the flowers while still having time to rest and recover. Visitors should find a local guide or buy a package tour to ensure safety.

This year, rhododendrons started blooming in early March and are at their most brilliant, fading around early April. Some years, the flowers bloom early from late February. If you conquer Pu Ta Leng peak around November, you will be able to see the red maple forest.

Tam Anh Photo: Old Cat

Vnexpress.net

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