VIDEO: Peach and plum blossoms bloom prematurely with more than a month left until the Lunar New Year.

These days, traveling along the roads leading to the centers of the highland communes, one can easily spot swathes of flowers in full bloom, blanketing the hillsides in white and weaving their way through the houses. The early arrival of spring surprises many visitors, even though according to the lunar calendar, Tet (Lunar New Year) is still more than a month away.

According to locals, this year's weather has been very erratic. Cold spells appeared early but did not last long, with warm sunshine during the day and cool nights. In addition, the leap lunar year, with an extra April, is believed to have disrupted the growth cycle of crops, causing peach and plum trees to bud and bloom earlier.

"Usually, flowers don't bloom until just before Tet, but this year, with Tet still more than a month away, they've all bloomed. Everyone loves beautiful flowers, but gardeners are worried because there won't be any left by Tet," shared Mr. A Luong from Van Ho commune (Son La province).

Not only peach orchards for Tet (Lunar New Year), but also many areas of late-season plum trees – a type of tree with a long history of association with the people of Moc Chau – are blooming early. This irregular flowering is causing anxiety among growers, because just one severe cold spell or prolonged rain after the flowering period could affect the fruit set rate.

Some orchard owners have proactively pruned flowers, covered the base of the trees, and adjusted watering to "slow down" the growth, but according to growers, all measures at this point depend heavily on the weather. "We just hope the weather remains stable from now until Tet so the trees don't go into shock," said a plum orchard owner in Tan Lap.

From another perspective, the early blooming of peach and plum blossoms brings a rare off-season flower season to Moc Chau. Many tourists take advantage of the opportunity to visit the plateau earlier than usual to take photos and stroll among the flower gardens at their most beautiful. Homestays and tourism services therefore begin to bustle during the last days of the year.

On the roads from Moc Chau southward, in recent days, convoys of small trucks and pickup trucks have begun to appear, carrying freshly dug peach and plum saplings neatly tied to the back of the vehicle.

Along National Highway 6, vehicles lined up, leaving the plateau in the early morning mist, carrying the pink and white blossoms of Moc Chau down to the city. For many orchard owners, this was both a way to "recover" losses from flowers that bloomed before Tet (Lunar New Year) and an opportunity to sell their produce early, as the market for peach and plum blossoms for Tet had not yet reached its peak.

The early blooming of flowers has prompted many traders to rush to bring peach and plum blossoms to Hanoi and other provinces in the delta region to meet the demand for early flower viewing or decoration during the end-of-year season.

Conversely, the early blooming of flowers also attracts tourists to Moc Chau earlier than usual. Many choose to stop amidst the most beautiful flower gardens, take photos, and capture the moment of early spring on the plateau.

According to locals, "early plum blossoms are not unprecedented, but this year it's happening on a large scale, due to the combined effects of unusual weather and a leap lunar year. People are advised to closely monitor climate developments and take proper care of their trees to minimize long-term risks."

With the Lunar New Year still just around the corner, the peach and plum blossoms have already bloomed early, bringing spring to Moc Chau ahead of schedule.

Duong Trieu