There is a Cloud-Covered Lamp Post

Amidst the vast mountains and forests of the northern highlands of Thai Nguyen province, where winding mountain passes appear and disappear in the clouds, there is a new emerging destination that is loved by young tourists. That is the Don Den mountain peak, located in Don Den village, Ba Be commune.

The "sea of clouds" in the dawn light is as beautiful as a painting.

Go to the top of the mountain to "hunt clouds"

Having an appointment with local young people to go "cloud hunting" on the mountain, early in the morning, we traveled from the center of Cho Ra commune, crossing a distance of about 10km on winding, twisting passes leading to the top of Don Den mountain.

Along the way, the twists and turns that appeared and disappeared in the misty clouds made us feel like we were lost in paradise. The higher we went, the colder the air became, the clouds covered the path, signaling a magical scene waiting ahead.

Arriving at the top of Don Den, located at an altitude of more than 1,000m above sea level, before our eyes opened a majestic natural landscape, an incredibly beautiful "sea of clouds".

Joining us on a "cloud hunt", Mr. Phung Van Hoang, a photographer at Ba Be Lake tourist area, shared: I have brought many young people to Don Den to "hunt clouds" and take advantage of capturing beautiful moments from the top of this mountain. The best time of year to "hunt clouds" is in the fall and spring. In the fall, the clouds dissipate faster, around 8am they will dissipate. Therefore, you usually have to go very early, if you are from the center of Cho Ra commune, you should arrive here from 4-5am to catch the sunrise. If you are further away, you have to go earlier. The most beautiful "cloud hunting" locations are at the milestones from km44 to km39 on provincial road 257B passing through Don Den village.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha, a tourist from Bac Ninh province, also arrived early to "hunt clouds" at the top of Don Den, saying: I have "hunted clouds" in many places such as Sa Pa, Lao Cai, or Ha Giang, but coming to Don Den gave me a very different feeling. It is a truly poetic scene of sky and clouds.

The road to the Lighthouse winds under the early morning clouds.

When the first rays of dawn appear, the entire "sea of clouds" seems to be dyed a shimmering pink-orange coat. Each cloud floats, gracefully, gently over the valleys and mountain peaks, making visitors feel as if they are standing on the clouds.

Ms. An Thi Hanh and her friends traveled from the center of Thai Nguyen province to see the clouds at the top of Don Den. She shared: I left at 3am to arrive in time to catch the sunrise at the top of Don Den. The beauty of the "sea of clouds" at Don Den is not inferior to any famous "cloud hunting" spots in the North. Coming to the top of Don Den, everyone will feel small before the majesty and wonder of nature. My friends and I took many souvenir photos here and were very satisfied with this trip.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong, a local resident, shared: The experience to successfully "hunt clouds" is that if the day before is sunny, the next morning will be cloudy. Visitors should come early from 4-6am to have a chance to watch the sunrise. In autumn, the clouds take longer to disperse, and you can still see the clouds at around 9am.

When reaching the top of Don Den, visitors should not forget to visit and check-in the bamboo forest of the people in Phja Khao village, Cho Ra commune. Here, the bamboo forests are located right next to the road, cared for and trimmed by the people, very convenient for young people and visitors to check-in and record beautiful moments on their journey of discovery .

Don Den village is also home to the Mong, Dao, and Tay ethnic groups. These ethnic groups still retain many unique traditional cultural features such as language, costumes, and customs. This is a great opportunity for visitors to learn and explore the unique cultural beauty of ethnic groups.

Potential waiting to be awakened

As a beautiful place with the cultural identity of ethnic groups still preserved and maintained, close to Ba Be Lake, but currently Don Den does not have professional tourism services.

The "cloud hunting" locations along the route are all cleared by some local people or young people to create a place for tourists from far away to park their cars and stop to take photos. When coming to "cloud hunting" at Don Den, tourists must prepare their own personal belongings, snacks, drinks and outdoor items such as folding tables and chairs, sun umbrellas, etc. to be able to enjoy hot coffee while watching the clouds in the peaceful, fresh space of the mountains and forests.

Sitting drinking coffee and watching the sunrise on top of Don Den brings a very special feeling.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hao, a resident of Ba Be commune, expressed his wish: Don Den is a very beautiful place, but no one has invested in it. Many tourists when visiting Ba Be Lake stop by Don Den to watch the clouds, but there are not many services here. We, the locals, hope that the locality as well as organizations and individuals will invest and open more services in this area to effectively exploit the local tourism potential.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thinh, Chairman of Ba Be Commune People's Committee, said: Don Den area has beautiful landscape, favorable location because it is near Ba Be Lake, however, it has not been included in the local tourism development plan. The locality also hopes that in the process of developing tourism in the North, the province will pay attention to attracting investment, creating more tourism services here, contributing to creating jobs and income for the people.

Don Den is currently still a new destination on the province's tourism map. Coming to see the "sea of clouds" of Don Den, visitors will have a different perspective on Thai Nguyen tourism. This place has a beautiful landscape that is "sleeping" and has not been "awakened". Local people hope that Don Den will be known and visited by many people, contributing to diversifying the tourist destinations of Thai Nguyen province...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/tin-moi/202508/co-mot-don-den-may-phu-d63648f/