Khai Trung plain attracts visitors because of its climate and beautiful scenery all year round. — Photo vov.vn

Lâm Giang

Now here's a plain that's far from plain.

Located 700m above sea level, Khai Trung plain is surrounded by ranges of high rocky mountains and primeval forests and is an ideal place for tourists to relax amidst the cool climate and beautiful flowers.

The plain is about 20km from the centre of Lục Yên District, Yên Bái Province.

After crossing Bến Lăn Bridge, the concrete path to Khai Trung slants towards the sky, allowing the plain to gradually appear.

The gates of mountain villages in Khai Trung are arched like rainbows turned up at the top of slope. From here, a road slopes gently to the plain land and then is lost in the green of fields, trees, sky and mountains.

The first thing visitors notice is the climate. The wind doesn’t blow directly into Khai Trung as it mixes with the mountain air, giving the area cool climate. 

According to Hoàng Thị Tới, a Lục Yên District cultural worker, visiting Khai Trung which has a total area of 25ha, in any season is fine, but tourists should come in spring or autumn as the weather and flowers are at their best.

Tourists will be sunk in the scent and colours of various types of flowers in Khai Trung Plain. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Văn An

“Now, there are more than 40 kinds of flowers in Khai Trung Plain such as rose, sunflower, cosmos flower and daisy. Tourists will lose themselves in the scent and colours of various types of flowers,” said Tới.

Tới said a single ticket to visit the flower fields costs a mere VNĐ30,000 (US$1.3).

The cosmos flower field is a particularly popular spot for sightseeing and photography.

Tourist Nguyễn Thị Hoài, who lives in Hà Giang Province, said she has visited many places but the beauty of flowers attracted her much.

“As a woman, I like flowers very much and I found many kinds of flowers here. It is an ideal place to take beautiful photos,” said Hoài.

“I saw that Khai Trung plain was very cool and fresh so I had an idea to plant various flowers to serve tourists and create jobs for locals,” said Đinh Văn An, head of Đại An Co-operative.

Khai Trung Commune’s People’s Committee is working with Đại An Co-operative to built restaurants, a swimming pool and areas to take wedding photos and hold outdoor activities.

“In the future, I will build more entertainment places and food stalls to introduce local specialities to visitors,” An added.

Khai Trung is not only beautiful and charming above ground, but is also known for its stunning caves hidden deep in the limestone mountains like Thiên Cung, Dơi and Tắc Én caves.

Two kilometres from the flower valley, there is Thiên Cung (also known as Giáp Luồng) cave in Giáp Luồng Hamlet.

There are hundreds of colourful blocks of stalactites at Thiên Cung Cave. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Văn An

It is known for its sparkling lights and hundreds of colourful blocks of stalactites which remind one of interesting shapes such as Buddha’s hand, dragons and pillars to prop up the sky.

Tourists visit Thiên Cung Cave. — Photo courtesy of Đinh Văn An

Besides visiting the flower valley and caves, visitors can see the daily life of the area's indigenous peoples thanks to cultural practices from the Tày and Dao ethnic groups.

There are 20 homestays in Khai Trung now. So If you are exhausted, you can stop at the stilt houses in the commune to enjoy the special regional dishes such as Lâm Thượng duck, Bỗng fish (a kind of carp) or simple dishes of wild vegetables and maize wine.

One thing's for sure, a trip to Khai Trung will create lasting memories for anyone lucky enough to visit. — VNS