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Ha Giang: Impressions from Ten Years of Building "The Land of Flowers of Nostalgia"

The Buckwheat Flower Festival, which began in 2015 after a decade of effort by local authorities, functional agencies, and individuals, has become a recognizable brand of Ha Giang tourism, so that every early winter, purple and pink buckwheat buds bloom, gently swaying in the mountain wind, captivating people with the fragrance and colors of the plateau.

Previously, when Buckwheat was not the "ambassador" of Ha Giang tourism, this little, herbaceous flower was concealed, growing from the cracks of rocks, and was a food crop that helped people struggle against the hungry days. No one remembers when the Buckwheat tree appeared, but people on the Stone Plateau said that in the past, when the Rice Fairy and the Corn Fairy went to sow seeds all over the world, the husks and corn husks did not know what to do with them, so they poured them into the ravines; when the lean season came, the corn and rice seeds in the house were gone, and it was not yet time to plant a new crop, people searched the mountains and forests for food, and they discovered a forest of small flowers reaching out in the ravines. The leaves were triangular, and the seeds were quite delicious when cooked, thus Buckwheat was called after them.

When Dong Van Stone Plateau joined the Global Geopark network, more tourists visited Ha Giang. They were surprised to see a small, weak flower growing strongly in the middle of the dry gray rock. That flower also magically transformed, changing color over time from white, pink, purple, and dark red, captivating visitors. Buckwheat flower is also the personification of strong energy, overcoming many hardships for the inhabitants of the Stone Plateau, making the image of flowers blooming in the Plateau's sunshine all the more important. Photos of the Buckwheat bloom followed travelers downstream, emerged in all social networking sites and other outlets, and became popular.

Because of the little flower's popularity, several towns plant buckwheat blossoms in order to attract tourists. Ha Giang boasts the most magnificent buckwheat. That beauty is reflected not only in the particular flower color, which is appropriate for the temperature and soil of the highlands, but also in the crystallization of the far North's culture and love. As a result of the natural calamities, this year's buckwheat blossom season has seen a significant recovery in Ha Giang tourism. More and more people adore and visit Ha Giang because no one wants to miss the "Season of Memorable Flowers".