These days, tourist attractions in Mai Chau district, especially those highlighted by the charming and romantic white Ban (Bauhinia) flower blossoms, are attracting a large number of visitors from across the country. Visiting these sites, tourists can immerse themselves in the pristine and majestic beauty of nature.
Ban flower trees along roads in Mai Chau
district are starting to bloom, attracting many people to take photos.
March is the peak bloom time of Ban flowers. The
northwestern region is dyed white with a spectrum of flowers, resembling a
landscape painting. On mountain peaks, slopes, and rocky cliffs, everywhere is
a pristine white colour dotted with romantic purple spots. Looking closer,
full-bloom Ban flowers are like flying butterflies. Some flowers have a purple
petal among white ones, some have a light pink petal. The Ban leaves are shaped
like horseshoe, but many Thai girls like to think that they have the shape of
double hearts.
At close distances, you can see slender Ban
flowers resembling the hands of mountainous girls. When in full bloom, the
flower spreads wide like butterfly wings with beautiful pistils.
During March, nature enthusiasts often plan
journeys to the northwestern region to admire the beauty of the flower and at
the same time enjoy the fresh, invigorating atmosphere of the spring weather,
and to capture memorable moments.
The Ban flower is closely associated with the
cultural and spiritual life of ethnic communities in the Northwestern region,
especially the Thai ethnic group. It symbolises love and faithfulness through
the love story of a beautiful girl named Ban and a smart man named Khum. The
story has it that Ban and Khum were in love with each other. Unfortunately,
Ban’s parents did not accept their love because Khum was poor. Failing to
persuade her parents, the girl left her home on a Spring morning to look for
her lover. She went and went deep into the forest, and finally collapsed and
died. In the spot where she died, trees grew with thousands of flowers, the
petals of which look like the girl’s beautiful hands. Khum came to the place
but all he could find was Ban’s head scarf. He desperately called her name
until he died and became a bird named Loc Khum. Since then, when spring comes,
white Ban flowers blossom across the forest, while Loc Khum birds keep on
singing like the voice of the man calling his lover throughout the Ban flower
season.
There is another story about the flower, which
says the flowers have their origin in the white cloth that local people tied on
trees in mourning of local insurgents who died while fighting against evil and
oppressing forces.
The flower is also a symbol of pride in the
treasure trove of folklore literature of the ethnic minorities in the
Northwestern region, as it represents the purity and innocence of women. It is
also a symbol of happiness, love, and prosperity, as well as the filial piety
of children towards their parents and reverence for spiritual deities.
As the new year begins and festive spirit fills the air, visitors flock to Hoa Binh lake, often dubbed the "Ha Long Bay on land," to enjoy its breathtaking beauty and serene atmosphere. In spring, the lake comes alive with lush greenery and delicate blossoms, while boats carrying eager tourists glide across its tranquil waters.
With effective business operations, significant increases in the number of visitors at weekends and on public holidays, and being listed among the 71 most beautiful places to visit worldwide by the prestigious US travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller, Hoa Binh’s tourism is "spreading its wings" on its journey towards the targets of welcoming 4.9 million visitors, including 1 million foreigners, and achieving total tourism revenue of 5.4 trillion VND (211.89 million USD) in 2025.
On February 21, the Provincial People's Committee held a conference to implement the tourism plan in 2025 and meet with tourism businesses operating in the province. The event was chaired by Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Head of the Provincial Tourism Steering Committee.
Tien Pagoda is located in the valley of Lao Noi and Lao Ngoai villages, Phu Nghia commune, Lac Thuy district; it is surrounded by two mountain ranges stretching like two giant dragons reaching for the blue sky. Every year, when spring comes, thousands of Buddhists and tourists from all over the country make a pilgrimage to Tien Pagoda. The relic complex of Tien Pagoda is ranked as a national relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with 21 relic sites of many types: historical and cultural relics, scenic relics, and archaeological relics.
Cao Phong has paid due attention to developing tourism, creating impetus for socio-economic development towards completing the targets set in the resolution of the district’s 28th Party Congress for the 2020-2025 tenure.
A great number of visitors have flocked to tourist attractions in Hoa Binh province in the first lunar month every year to admire the beautiful scenery, fully enjoy the spring atmosphere, and immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere in many localities.
