Buckwheat flower festival in Ha Giang
The annually held buckwheat flower festival of Ha Giang started November 23 this year (Tam Giac Mach in Vietnamese).
The buckwheat flower is the iconic flower of the northern mountainous picturesque province and symbolize love and happiness.
Buckwheat flower
Buckwheat is a tiny white flower cultivated for its grain-like seeds, which are used as an healthier alternative to wheat to make specialty food by ethnic minorities. Rice, noodles, breads and cakes can be made from buckwheat flour. It can be boiled and used as vegetables. It also has medicinal benefits and is sometimes used to feed the cattle.
Ha Giang province’s population is mostly ethnic minority people, with their own cultures and lifestyles.
The 4th festival will be the largest so far with many cultural activities highlighting traditional crafts and cuisine such as art performances, a mountain climbing competition on Ma Pi Leng pass, markets with music performances, folk games of ethnic minority groups, demonstrations on local agricultural productions and displays of buckwheat flower products (flower bouquets, cakes and other dishes, tea, etc).
From late October to early November is the best time to admire spectacular large colorful fields of buckwheat flowers in full bloom, surrounded by stunning limestone and Karst Mountains, caves and gorgeous rivers. The hills and mountains are covered by the white and pink of the flowers.
This is a good chance for visitors to discover some other places around like Dong Van Plateau, designated by UNESCO as one of 77 sites with important geological and cultural heritage values, or Hoang Su Phi. Quan Ba Pass is well-known for its panoramic views over terraced rice fields. Another famous destination in Ha Giang is Nho Que River cutting through the legendary twisting roads of Ma Pi Leng mountain pass.
Sources: Vietnamtourism.com & Vietnamnet