The cherry blossom in Đà Lạt has truly created a people’s festival, bringing together local residents and visitors. — VNA/VNS Photo

LÂM ĐỒNG — Cherry blossoms are in full bloom across central Đà Lạt, drawing large numbers of residents and visitors and boosting tourism during what is typically a low season.

In the final days of the 12th lunar month, Spring arrives early in the highland city of Đà Lạt as cherry flowers bloom across the city centre.

Amid the city’s characteristic “cold sunshine”, bare branches awaken from winter dormancy, bursting into bloom along streets and alleyways.

The flowers, described as having “petals as small as apricot blossoms, pink like peach flowers”, appear throughout central areas, creating a distinctive seasonal landscape.

Set against pine-covered hillsides and French-style villas, the blossoms have become a visual highlight of the city and a major draw for residents and visitors. During this period, central Đà Lạt resembles a “giant film set”.

From Lê Đại Hành slope and Hồ Tùng Mậu Street to the road encircling Hồ Xuân Hương, the pine hills of Dinh 2, the Trần Hưng Đạo heritage axis and the area in front of Thủy Tạ Restaurant, large numbers of people can be seen gathering to take photographs of cherry blossoms.

The lively atmosphere has transformed the streets into crowded public spaces, creating an energy comparable to that of the Đà Lạt Flower Festival.

“It’s truly wonderful! Just lift your camera and you already have a beautiful photo. Our group spent three days here and only went to places to take pictures with cherry blossom. This year the flowers are in full bloom; wherever you go there’s this soft pink shade. It really feels like Tết has arrived early in Đà Lạt,” visitor Mai Thị Thu Phương from Đắk Lắk said.

Nguyễn Thị Hồng Nhung, a visitor from HCM City, said she was still not satisfied with the number of photographs she had taken with the cherry blossoms, despite spending the entire morning and well into the afternoon exploring flower-viewing spots with friends.

Along a road through the old pine forest in Dinh 2 area, Nhung and her friends stopped repeatedly to pose for photos. She said that although she had visited Đà Lạt many times, this was the first time she had seen cherry trees bloom so widely and vividly.

Favourable weather conditions, combined with pine forests, historic villas and the blossoms, made the city appear more peaceful and poetic, she added.

“We decided to adjust our schedule and stay an extra half day just to enjoy the cherry blossoms, then take an overnight coach so we could arrive back in time for work the next morning,” Nhung said.

The flowers, described as having “petals as small as apricot blossoms, pink like peach flowers”, appear throughout central areas, creating a distinctive seasonal landscape. — VNA/VNS Photo

Tourism boost

Beyond enhancing public spaces and encouraging visitors to linger, cherry blossoms have also generated strong appeal for tourist attractions across Đà Lạt.

According to Đinh Tuấn Anh, director of the TTC Lâm Đồng Entertainment Complex, the TTC Thung lũng Tình yêu Tourist Area has benefited significantly from the recent bloom.

In addition to an increase in individual visitors, the site has welcomed numerous tour groups as well as student and university excursions combining sightseeing, recreational activities and cherry blossom viewing.

“Traditionally, the 12th lunar month is considered a low season, as visitors tend to wait until the Tết holiday to travel to Đà Lạt. However, compared with the same period in 2025, visitor numbers at Thung lũng Tình yêu have increased by around 30 per cent, which is a very encouraging signal,” Tuấn Anh said.

Alongside cultural and artistic activities, the Đà Lạt Cherry Blossom Flower Festival 2026 also promoted sustainable development through the tree-planting campaign titled ‘Radiant Đà Lạt Spring with Cherry blossom’, together with environmental clean-up drives and urban landscape improvement activities.

These initiatives aim to raise public awareness and encourage collective action in building Đà Lạt – Lâm Đồng into a locality that is “bright, green, clean and beautiful; civilised and modern”.

According to Trần Thị Vũ Loan, chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Xuân Hương Ward, the lead organiser of the festival, the event exceeded expectations.

Beyond promoting the beauty of Đà Lạt’s people and landscapes, it resulted in the planting of hundreds of cherry trees across the city.

She added that central wards are coordinating efforts to care for and preserve the millions of cherry trees planted and cultivated over the past 25 years, reinforcing the message of conservation and sustainable development of this iconic species in the highland city.

Echoing the festival’s green message, Tuấn Anh said TTC Lâm Đồng had planted an additional 250 cherry trees at the TTC Thung lũng Tình yêu Tourist Area and continues to care for and protect more than 2,000 cherry trees currently in bloom, contributing to the expansion of cherry blossoms across Đà Lạt.

Beyond enhancing public spaces and encouraging visitors to linger, cherry blossoms have also generated strong appeal for tourist attractions across Đà Lạt. — VNA/VNS Photo

The year 2026 marked the first time the Đà Lạt Cherry Blossom Flower Festival was organised on a large scale, with a wide range of programmes and activities serving both residents and visitors.

Lasting nearly a month, the festival featured a series of 11 integrated experiential events, combining tourism, culture, the arts and community life.

Through these activities, the festival honoured the beauty of Đà Lạt’s iconic spring blossoms, promoted cultural values and the image of Đà Lạt people as “gentle, elegant and hospitable”, supported tourism development, and strengthened the Đà Lạt – Lâm Đồng brand.

Notably, the Organising Committee launched, for the first time, a digital map introducing cherry blossom viewing locations.

The platform attracted more than 20,000 users and recorded over 110,000 visits, contributing to the modernisation of tourism information access, improved service quality, and the gradual development of Đà Lạt – Lâm Đồng as a smart and modern destination. — VNS