To Day flowers bloom in radiant pink, captivating visitors to Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai)

Known as Pang To Day in the Hmong language, To Day flowers, or wild peach blossoms, flourish only at altitudes above 1,000 meters and are considered a winter symbol of Mu Cang Chai. These flowers typically bloom during the Hmong Lunar New Year, roughly a month before the traditional Tet holiday. With five slender petals, To Day flowers are more elongated than regular peach blossoms. The colder the weather, the deeper the pink hue of the blooms. Their peak beauty lasts around 10 days before wilting, giving way to budding leaves. Dinh Tuan Hung, a visitor from Ha Noi, shared his impressions: "This is my second time visiting Mu Cang Chai, and I’m fortunate to experience the To Day flowers in full bloom. Along the roads, several spots are already adorned with vibrant pink hues. Amidst the cold and gloom of winter days, the rich pink of To Day flowers breathes life into the landscape.”

Currently, To Day flowers are primarily concentrated in the communes of Nam Khat, Pung Luong, De Xu Phinh, Lao Chai, and Khao Mang, with the densest blooms found in La Pan Tan. Despite enduring harsh conditions, including frost and snow blanketing the high slopes in winter, To Day trees exhibit remarkable resilience. As the sun emerges, the flowers burst into vibrant red and pink hues, lighting up vast areas and heralding the arrival of spring while dispelling the cold. The blossoms reach their peak beauty, painting the mountain slopes pink, from mid-December through late January, creating a stunning natural spectacle symbolic of the season's renewal and prosperity. The clusters of vivid red-pink flowers scattered across hillsides form breathtaking scenes, making To Day blooms a unique tourism asset, drawing visitors eager to experience this natural wonder.

To Day flowers bloom in radiant pink.

From December 27, 2024, to January 2, 2025, Mu Cang Chai District is set to host the Hmong Khen Festival, the To Day Flower Festival, and other activities to celebrate the New Year. Highlights include street parades, the Hmong Khen Festival showcasing traditional Hmong culture through competitions and performances, the third annual To Day Flower Festival opening ceremony, paragliding adventures, and an art photography exhibition titled The Radiance of To Day Flowers. Visitors can also participate in activities such as the Journey to Hunt Clouds - Explore To Day Flowers, traditional Hmong celebrations like pounding sticky rice cakes, spinning top contests, folk games, cultural performances, and displays of Mu Cang Chai's specialty products alongside goods from partner districts.

Lương Thi Xuyen, Vice Chairwoman of the Mu Cang Chai District People's Committee, emphasized: "The To Day Flower Festival is held to promote the natural beauty and unique early spring festivals of the Hmong ethnic community in Mu Cang Chai. This event celebrates and advertises the region’s tourism potential while enhancing awareness of preserving and promoting the distinctive traditional cultural values of the area. It also aims to foster sustainable tourism connections between Mu Cang Chai and other localities in the Northwest region, creating a distinctive and high-quality tourism supply chain. The festival emphasizes innovative, unique, appealing, and eco-friendly tourism experiences tailored to each season.”

Thu Trang