The buckwheat flower festival is one of the prominent cultural events of the Hmong people in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. It’s not only a celebration for the Hmong people to honor the natural beauty and culture of their own, but also an opportunity for travelers to explore the distinctive features of the mountainous landscape and experience unique cultural aspects. Let’s follow Ula Travel to discover the fascinating aspects of this special festival!
I. Overview of the Buckwheat Flower Festival
Buckwheat flower is an indispensable “specialty” of the Northeast mountains. Every year, Ha Giang people celebrate the Buckwheat Flower Festival to honor the beauty of buckwheat flowers, the symbol of Ha Giang cultural heritage values, as well as promote tourism and culture of ethnic minorities in the Northeast. It is thanks to this Buckwheat Flower Festival event that many tourists have known about the existence and popularity of this attractive flower.
In Ha Giang, the buckwheat flower is a representation of love and tenacity. It has grown to be a tourist and photographer’s favorite, providing breathtaking backgrounds that artfully contrast with the rough terrain of the area. The buckwheat flower farms contribute to the cultural fabric of Ha Giang by giving local populations a source of income.
II. When does the Buckwheat Flower Festival take place?
1. Festival time
Buckwheat flowers bloom in Ha Giang every late fall and early winter, creating breathtaking scenery. Consequently, the Buckwheat Flower Festival is held in October to mark the beginning of the new buckwheat blossom season. The opening ceremony often starts in the middle of October, and the whole festival can last until the end of the year.
2. Where the festival takes place
The location of the Buckwheat Flower Festival is in 4 districts of the rocky plateau (Dong Van, Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac) and Ha Giang City. Đong Văn Plateau and Mèo Vạc Plateau are recommended to visit if you want to see the highlight of the Buckwheat Flower Festival.
III. How to travel to the Buckwheat Flower Festival
By car
Numerous direct bus companies make it quite easy to travel from the northern provinces of Vietnam to the Buckwheat Flower Festival. On the other hand, travelers from far-off places in the South or Central area should begin their trip from Hanoi. From there, almost every hour buses depart from My Dinh, Luong Yen, Yen Nghia, and Gia Lam bus stations.
Depending on their budget, travelers can select between luxurious limousines and sleeper buses. If you want to save time and energy for the long road of discovery, you should take the night bus. The bus ticket price from Hanoi to Ha Giang and vice versa ranges from 200,000 – 300,000 VND per trip.
By motobike
For cheaper price, you can also choose using motobike to get there. However, because this journey is quite long, about more than 300km, it is only suitable for those who have good health, a strong handlebar, and are passionate about traveling by motorbike.
To ride a motorbike from Hanoi to Ha Giang, visitors can consider choosing one of the following two routes:
Route 1: You will go through National Highway 2, about 290km. From the center of Hanoi city, you follow Nhat Tan bridge to Vo Chi Cong, Vinh Ngoc, then enter Vo Nguyen Giap. Go about 15km on Vo Nguyen Giap street, turn right to enter Highway 2A and continue until Phuc Yen town. When you arrive at Vinh Yen city, turn left onto Highway 2C, go to Tuyen Quang city, enter Viet Quang town and you will arrive in Ha Giang.
Route 2: This route goes through Highway 32, about 7km longer than the direction of Highway 2. From the center of Hanoi, you go to Thang Long Avenue for about 27km, then turn to Highway 21, then go another 20km and then turn to Highway 32 – go to Trung Ha bridge – go to Phu Tho town – go to Highway 2 – go to the city. Tuyen Quang street – to Viet Quang town – Ha Giang.
IV. Activities during the Buckwheat Flower Festival
In the framework of the Buckwheat Flower Festival, each year, Ha Giang hosts many events around the province to keep tourists busy are scheduled to take place.
1. Taking pictures at the buckwheat flower fields
The Buckwheat Flower Festival is held when buckwheat flowers are entering their blooming season. Visiting Buckwheat Flower Festival, you will be astonished by the vast flower forests, arranged by the local government so that visitors can have the most beautiful photos. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in Ha Giang‘s biggest flower festival of the year at this time.
In order to create favorable conditions for tourists to Buckwheat Flower Festival to visit and take photos, the 4 districts also arranged extremely convenient flower growing locations such as:
- Quan Ba Heaven Gate: Situated 46 kilometers from North Ha Giang City on Highway 4C, Quan Ba district, this is the starting point for the conquest of the Đồng Văn plateau.
- Thach Son Than: A complex of 7 stone statues located in the geological heritage complex of Dong Van plateau, Quyet Tien commune, Quan Ba district, about 40 km from the city center.
- Sung La Valley: Just over 20km from Dong Van district, this is considered “the flower of the stone plateau”.
- Lung Cu Flag Tower: The Lung Cu flag tower is a 33 meter high tower with a 54 square meter flag at the northernmost point of the country.
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2. Engaging in authentic local experience
To explore different aspects of Ha Giang and to get a “slice-of-life” glimpse of the local way of life, visitors can engage in cultural activities. With over 20 different ethnic groups, Ha Giang‘s rich culture is sure to keep you interested.
You can choose a variety of activities throughout Buckwheat Flower Festival to experience local people’s life, from experience weaving flax, hand-embroidering traditional costumes, making house hold items and traditional ethnic musical instruments, to learning folk dance, traditional musical instruments, and dancing around campfire.
Start your journey with: Explore the beauty of Ha Giang
3. Embrace traditional customs through competition
Every year, the Buckwheat Flower Festival holds a number of competitions. These contests might range from well-known sports like soccer, tennis, and football to regional sports such as đá pao. All contests, though, are centered around the heritage and beauty of Ha Giang, with rewards are local food or souvernirs.
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V. Suggested accommodation at the Buckwheat Flower Festival
There are lots of lodging options in Ha Giang, including big hotels, homestays, and motels. The majority of them are homestays; they can be found around the communes and the town center.
Depending on your budget and needs, the cost of a room in a homestay might range from 400,000 to 1 million VND per night, or from 100,000 to 250,000 VND for a mattress in a dorm or stilt house. Some hotel recommendations are:
1. Odyssey Ha Giang Hostel
Address: Lane 29, Group 18, Nguyen Trai Street, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam
Price: 300.000 VND – 500.000 VND
Review: The hostel boasts a convenient location near the bus station and mountain villages, offering easy access to local attractions. Odyssey is well known for its clean, comfortable rooms, friendly staff, a complimentary breakfast, and amenities like a pool and motorbikes, all at a reasonable price.
2. Auberge de MeoVac
Address: Chúng Pả A, Mèo Vạc town, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam
Price: 330.000 VND – 2.200.000 VND
Review: a centenary H’mong house in Meo Vac town, opened in 2013 after a year of renovations. Originally built by a wealthy H’mong, it features a wooden stilt house, adobe walls, tiled roof, and stone courtyard, making it an exceptional cultural and responsible tourism site.
Are you looking for: All tours to Ha Giang
3. Dong Van Cliffside House
Address: Đong Van District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam
Price: 770.000 VND – 2.500.000 VND
Review: Located in Dong Van, Dong Van Cliffside House offers a central location near popular attractions and dining options, renowned for its hospitality staff and beautiful architecture.
During peak tourist periods such as the Buckwheat Flower Festival, with large numbers of visitors to Ha Giang, accommodations may increase prices or run out of rooms early, so booking in advance is recommended.
VI. What to eat at Buckwheat Flower Festival
Apart from being a breathtaking tourist destination, Ha Giang is also the birthplace of numerous exquisite delicacies with distinctive features that are found nowhere else. Therefore, when coming to Buckwheat Flower Festival, visitors cannot miss the local cuisine here.
1. Buckwheat Cake
Did you know that buckwheat flower is the main ingredient used to make a cake of the same name? Made of buckwheat harvested from Ha Giang itself, Buckwheat Cake has a light scent, is sweet, spongy, soft, and has a rustic flavor of the mountains and forests.
The cake has a thin, crispy crust and a soft, spongy inside. Taking a bite of the cake, diners will feel the rich, sweet taste mixed with the characteristic pungent taste of buckwheat spreading throughout the mouth.
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2. Au Tau Porridge
Au Tau porridge is cooked from Au Tau root, rice, pork, pork sausage, eggs, vegetables and some other things. Au Tau is a familiar tree to local people, also known as Au Tau, Thu O… grown a lot in the highlands of Ha Giang.
Take home Au Tau roots, wash them, soak them in rice water for one night, then simmer for about 4 hours until soft and crumbly. After that, the meat and rice are combined and cooked in the pig’s trotter broth. Because Au Tau root is highly toxic, it needs to be prepared and consumed with caution to prevent bone and joint discomfort and hangovers.
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3. Thang Co (Horse Offal Soup)
Thang Co is not a dish that everyone can eat, but it is a specialty of the Northwest with the aroma of cardamom, doi seeds, lemongrass, and the greasy taste of meat. After being prepared, cleaned, and marinated with 12 special spices, beef organs will be simmered for one hour, creating a pot of Thang Co with an impressive flavor for visitors.
The typical accompaniment to this dish is fermented corn wine. This Ha Giang dish’s distinctive flavor is produced by the combination of the rich aroma of Thắng Cố and the spicy aroma of wine.
VII. Travel tips for the Buckwheat Flower Festival
Don’t miss the following Ha Giang travel tips for a complete trip to the Buckwheat Flower Festival:
- To really experience the tranquil atmosphere of Ha Giang, you should plan a trip that lasts at least three days and two nights, as events and activities during the Buckwheat Flower Festival are evenly spread out. Many travelers recommend a 3-day, 4-night schedule, or a longer 5-day plan.
- Although Ha Giang‘s roads are extremely beautiful and fascinating, they are also fairly dangerous due to their steep turns and winding nature, making it difficult for even the most experienced drivers to navigate. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary danger, we advise you to either hire a driver if you are not an expert.
- Because Ha Giang is a high, mountainous province, its average yearly temperature is quite low, especially during Buckwheat Flower Festival. The climate is notable for its year-round high humidity and heavy, long rains. To prevent unexpected rain, pack warm clothing and bring an umbrella or raincoat.
- When visiting some buckwheat flower gardens, there may be an entrance fee ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 VND per person. Note that when entering the garden, you can freely take photos but must absolutely refrain from stepping on or trampling the flowers and you are not allowed to pick flowers to take home. Be a cultured tourist.
- Ha Giang offers many attractions, so you should plan your itinerary to ensure it’s not too packed and can end the day while there’s still daylight for safety.
- While traveling in Ha Giang, you will easily encounter local people. The majority of Hà Giang’s population are ethnic minorities, so they are very friendly and hospitable. Before you go, remember to prepare some candies to give to the children you meet along the way. When encountering local women, refrain from overtly teasing or joking with them. Especially, avoid using derogatory terms towards ethnic people.
- Conquering Ha Giang will take you through winding roads, so be extremely careful when traveling, especially on motorcycles. Pay attention to observing and controlling your speed to ensure your safety.
Hopefully, with the information and travel tips above, you will have an exciting journey to experience the Buckwheat Flower Festival, a festival imbued with the rich cultural identity of Vietnam. Join Ula Travel to explore the latest Ha Giang tours today!
See more: Vietnam Travel Tips
