Gia Lai is not only about Tonle Sap Lake

Coming to Gia Lai, tourists can admire the majestic K50 waterfall, Chu Se pink grass hill or immerse themselves in the bustling gong festival on Da mountain.

Pham Cong Quy (28 years old), from Gia Lai, works as a freelance photographer and tour guide, regularly reviews famous landmarks and new destinations in Gia Lai on the Pleiku - Gia Lai Tourism group.

On August 8, Cong Quy came to the pink grass hill in the chilly weather on the top of Chu Se Pass, bordering the two districts of Chu Se and Phu Thien, Gia Lai. The photo is part of a collection of photos taken by Quy in recent years with bright colors, majestic and poetic landscapes, hoping to bring optimism to viewers during the pandemic.

Quy is passionate about photography and traveling because through the process of going to many places to take photos, he realized how beautiful his homeland is, from there he loves and appreciates more about the life around him.

Huyen, who lives in Pleiku, took a souvenir photo in front of the Chu Se terraced fields turning yellow this August. This terraced field is said to be as beautiful as those in the northern highlands. For many generations, the Jrai people living here have transformed the land around the hillsides into terraces to expand the cultivated area and intensify wet rice cultivation.

The mysterious Bien Ho Tea Lake in Chu Pah district in the white mist. Located on the northern shore of Bien Ho, Bien Ho Tea is the name given by Pleiku people to this place, a combination of an irrigation lake and vast tea fields. This is also the first tea plantation of the French in Gia Lai, formed in the 20s of the last century.

When mentioning the mountain town of Pleiku, tourists often mention the beauty of Bien Ho, also known as T'Nung Lake, associated with the song "Pleiku's eyes are full of Bien Ho". When the dry season comes, the red basalt strips gradually appear on the lakeside, along with the life of fishermen on the lake surface, creating a peaceful picture of "one of the most beautiful natural lakes in the Central Highlands".

The majestic Yaly Hydropower Project is located on the green Se San River, surrounded by mountains and forests. On this tour, visitors take a boat on the Se San River, admire the Central Highlands mountains and forests, and visit the Jrai ethnic village.

Hang En Waterfall (or K50) has become famous on the Gia Lai tourism map in recent years, located in Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, K'bang district. Hang En Waterfall is 50 m high with a strong flow, white foam, at the foot of the waterfall are stacked rocks. The above photo was taken by Quy in March 2021 on his first visit here, he was overwhelmed by the majesty of the landscape with a silver waterfall like a white silk strip, placing the camera at any angle has a beautiful view.

Gia Lai has many beautiful waterfalls, of which Phu Cuong waterfall in Ia Pal commune, Chu Se district, is considered "the number one waterfall in Gia Lai". From Chu Se administrative center, visitors turn left on Highway 25 about 5 km to see the sign to the waterfall.

Notably, Phu Cuong waterfall flows on the base of a volcano that has been inactive for millions of years. Giant columns of water fall from a height of 45 m, echoing in a corner of the forest. If you are lucky, you will catch the moment a rainbow appears at the foot of the waterfall.

“While I was hunting for photos of the yellow and red leaves in the afternoon sun, I saw a boy leading a herd of cows back home. Childhood memories suddenly appeared in an emotional frame,” Quy shared.

Children play innocently in the countryside scene of Ayun commune, Chu Se district. This is one of Quy's most memorable photos, taken in 2015, which motivated him to pursue his passion for photography.

Rows of wild sunflowers in full bloom in November 2020 on both sides of the road to visit Chu Dang Ya volcano. Wandering here, visitors can easily get acquainted with the Jrai people in Ia Gri village located at the foot of the mountain.

“When the storm had just passed, the fragile wild sunflowers lay down quite a lot. I was feeling sad because of the scenery like that when suddenly I saw three Jrai boys riding their bikes. The scene became lively so I quickly captured their lovely moments,” Quy shared his memories.

A girl in Dao costume in Chu Prong. There are 18 ethnic groups living in Chu Prong district (including Dao people), of which Kinh and Jrai people are the majority. The ethnic groups living together in Chu Prong district create an area rich in identity and cultural and ethnic diversity.

Traditional lifestyle, gong performance of Jrai people on Da Mountain at sunset. Da Mountain is about 6km from Pleiku bypass intersection, about 830m high, with gentle terrain above, can observe all four sides, clear blue lake between the hills and green pine forests stretching to Ia Grai district.

Huynh Phuong Photo: Pham Cong Quy

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