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Every year around this time, as the apricot and plum blossoms timidly bloom in the cold wind, spreading their white petals to welcome the spring sun throughout the hills and forests of Northwest Vietnam, it is also the time when spring arrives in Pa Khen village, the home of the H'mong people in Moc Chau, Son La. When traveling to Moc Chau during the plum blossom season, tourists will witness a picturesque scene of endless plum blossoms against the sky or experience the lively atmosphere of the H'mong New Year celebration.
Moc Chau Plum Blossom Season
As the winter weather in the high mountains of Northwest Vietnam enters its later stages, with more sunlight appearing, it also signals the beginning of the Moc Chau plum blossom season. And at this time, the plum forests begin to bloom with a vast expanse of white. White overhead, white underfoot. The color of plum blossoms covers the forests and mountains, reaching even into the houses and adorning the shoulders of young men and women during the spring festivals.
White plum blossoms embellish the land of Moc Chau. (Photo: Internet)
This is also the time when the H'mong people in Moc Chau prepare to celebrate their traditional New Year, preserving their unique customs and traditions that offer many interesting experiences for tourists.
H'mong New Year amid the plum blossom season
The H'mong people in Moc Chau, and generally in Son La province, usually have two occasions for Tet holidays each year. The Independence Day Tet typically falls on September 2nd annually. Meanwhile, the traditional H'mong New Year usually occurs in the early days of the 12th lunar month. According to the tradition of the H'mong people in the Moc Chau region, the traditional New Year usually lasts for 3 main days. Before and after these 3 main days, the H'mong people can still rest, visit their relatives, work in the fields, enjoy village festivities, and engage in traditional games.
H'mong people prepare for Tet by making traditional glutinous rice cakes. (Photo: Internet)
Similar to other ethnic groups nationwide, the H'mong clean their houses thoroughly, each family raising a pig and live chickens for ancestral worship. They then slaughter the chickens for ritual offerings and attach chicken feathers to pre-cut serrated paper shapes, which they stick onto various objects inside the house, on house beams, pillars, and above the main door to ward off evil spirits. The H'mong believe that objects also possess souls, so on Tet days, people rest and celebrate together, and tools and objects used for labor also get a break after a year of hard work.
A young H'mong woman in Moc Chau. (Photo: Internet)
According to tradition, every year on the morning of the 30th of Tet, all family members return home with their families to prepare for Tet. Every household slaughters pigs, pounds glutinous rice cakes, and prepares delicious chicken dishes to invite their ancestors to enjoy a meal together during the New Year's Eve reunion dinner.
Tet of the H'mong people coincides with the blooming of plum blossoms. (Photo: Internet)
Moreover, on the first day of Tet, H'mong people living in Pa Khen village dress in their finest attire. Young men and women, the elderly, and children flock to the spacious land below the valley, immersing themselves in the pure white of plum and apricot blossoms, complemented by the vibrant pink of wild peach blossoms, to experience the warm and refreshing atmosphere of spring.
Plum blossoms in Moc Chau. (Photo: Internet)
And this is the time when you can embark on an affordable trip to Moc Chau to participate in the lively traditional games of the H'mong people and admire the blooming plum blossoms throughout the forests and hills of Moc Chau. Young men and women, full of vitality, wander amidst the melodious tunes of bamboo flutes or the melancholic sounds of H'mong boys playing their mouth organs for their beloved girls. The echoing tunes of mouth organs intertwine with the mountain breezes, blending harmoniously with the sound of the wind, softly caressing the white plum blossoms covering the forests.
Get in touch with the Mytour hotline for advice and booking tours to Moc Chau cherry blossom season with attractive programs and the best prices from Mytour.
