Pure white plum blossoms are blooming all over the hillsides in Chiềng Cọ commune, Sơn La city.

Son La city currently boasts over 1,000 hectares of plum orchards, concentrated mainly in Chieng Co and Chieng Den communes. The plum trees grow densely, their pristine white blossoms covering the hillsides and valleys, illuminating the surrounding mountains and forests. The delicate white plum blossoms, like silk, cling to the gnarled, ancient branches, interspersed with stilt houses, creating a poetic, rustic, and vibrant landscape. When gentle breezes sweep through, these delicate petals flutter and drift like falling snow, captivating and enchanting countless visitors.

This year, plum blossoms bloomed from the end of January and were in full bloom for about 10-15 days. To avoid missing the beauty of the blossoms, many people contacted orchard owners to choose the right time to visit when the flowers were at their most beautiful and take souvenir photos.

The pristine white plum blossoms are like the beauty of a mountain maiden.

Along with friends, Ms. Tran Bao Hanh from Chieng Le ward, Son La city, shared: "Every year, when the plum blossom season comes, I go with friends and relatives to admire and take pictures of the plum blossoms. In the city, Chieng Co commune is an ideal place to photograph plum blossoms; the plum orchards here are covered in pristine white blossoms, creating a very poetic and charming scene."

Tourists take photos in the plum blossom garden.

Not wanting to miss the picturesque scenery of the plum blossom season, Ms. Lo Thi Phuong Chi from Song Ma district and her friends traveled to Son La city to take photos and admire the beauty when the plum blossoms were at their peak. Ms. Lo Thi Phuong Chi said: "Through social media, I saw people sharing pictures of plum blossoms, which made me very interested and excited, so I invited my friends to the plum orchard in Chieng Co commune to take photos. Although the weather was quite cold, we were able to admire the very poetic natural scenery and have a beautiful set of photos."

During the plum blossom season, photographers are fully booked with clients from morning till night.

The plum blossom season in Son La city not only brings captivating natural beauty but also becomes an important source of income, helping to improve the lives of local people. Along with harvesting the fruit, during the peak blooming season, many orchard owners promote their orchards on social media with specific addresses and phone numbers so that tourists can find and experience them.

The plum orchards in Chiềng Cọ are at their most beautiful during this time of year.

Understanding the needs of tourists, before the plum blossoms bloom, orchard owners focus on tending and beautifying their gardens to welcome visitors for sightseeing and photography. Many orchards invest in costumes, props, makeup for photoshoots, food and beverage services, and accommodation. The entrance fee to visit the plum orchards is also very reasonable, averaging 20,000 VND per person.

Tourists capture beautiful moments amidst the plum blossom garden.

Mr. Quang Van Lan, owner of Chieng Co Farm plum orchard in Hom village, Chieng Co commune, shared: "For more than a week now, almost every day, my family's plum orchard has been bustling with visitors coming to admire the flowers and take pictures, with the busiest days being the two weekends. On average, there are 200-300 visitors per day, generating an income of several hundred thousand to several million dong. Thanks to this, in addition to income from the plums themselves, my family now has a stable source of income during the plum blossom season, and our plum orchard has become an attractive tourist destination every spring."

The children enjoyed visiting and taking souvenir photos during the plum blossom season.

The plum blossom season is also an ideal time for photographers to hunt for beautiful moments. The landscape, filled with white plum blossoms, combined with sunlight, creates stunning photos that attract the attention of many photographers. Tran Cuong, a photographer from Son La city, shared: "The plum blossom season in Son La is always romantic, poetic, and captivating to me every spring. The scenery here is truly wonderful, very suitable for taking landscape and portrait photos. From the beginning of the season, many customers have booked photo shoots, with prices for individual shoots ranging from 300,000 to 700,000 VND per person; group shoots cost from 2 to 3 million VND per group."

Plum blossoms are likened to the vibrant beauty of mountain girls.

The plum blossom season has become a highlight in the tourism development of Chieng Co commune. Ms. Tong Thi Bo, Chairwoman of the Commune People's Committee, informed: The commune is encouraging residents and orchard owners to renovate and care for their plum orchards, invest in community tourism development, and diversify services to meet the needs of tourists from near and far. Along with that, the commune is directing officials and residents to actively promote the beauty of the plum blossoms on social media so that a wider audience of people and tourists can learn about it.

Tourists resplendent in traditional Thai costumes amidst plum blossoms.

The plum blossom season in Son La city has become a "specialty" for nature lovers every spring. After the flowering season, the plum trees fill with sap and bear fruit, promising a bountiful harvest.

Source: Son La Newspaper