Lung Cung in the most beautiful season of the year

Lung Cung is the name of a 2,913m high mountain, known as the roof of Mu Cang Chai district - Yen Bai . Because it was voted by backpackers as one of the most beautiful mountains in Vietnam, in recent years, Lung Cung has attracted many souls who love to "travel".

The best season to trek Lung Cung is from late October to the end of December. I chose a dry and cool day, mid-November is also the time when the ancient maple trees on the top of Lung Cung change leaves, covering the mountains and forests with a brilliant coat of color.

The bus took me to Tu Le town, where I met a local porter who was in charge of guiding the way and bringing food for the whole climbing team. From here, we took a motorbike taxi to Tu San village, about 15km from Tu Le center. The road was very bad and rocky, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there.

This was just the first leg of an emotional journey of steep, precarious slopes. I had to hold on to the driver in front of me as we went up and down the slopes.

The motorbike taxi took us to the edge of the forest, where we began our climb through the gently sloping hills planted with crab apples. Once we crossed this low range of hills, we entered a completely different space. The forest suddenly became cool under the shade of ancient chestnut and oak trees.

Following the trails opened by the Mong people, we arrived at Hau Chua La waterfall, which is also a lunch stop for mountain climbing groups. In the Mong language: Hau Chua means cliff, La means monkey – this place used to be the habitat of wild monkeys.

They are not seen here very often now but there is still some wildlife, especially birds.

At a climbing speed equivalent to a slow walk, I arrived at Lung Cung overnight shelter around 5pm. For me, walking in the forest is a sacred and special experience. The forest is filled with sunlight, the carpet of fallen leaves is thick and velvety, looking up you can see the forest canopy creating special shapes, with many sparkling colors.

Entering the forest with an open mind, I truly disconnected from the outside world , feeling the sunlight dancing on the leaves, listening to the sound of the stream in the valley, watching the maple leaves flying in the sunset, and some small, pretty flowers on the deserted slope. These are all unforgettable moments in the heart of the walker.

The overnight hut in Lung Cung is located at an altitude of 2,400m, built on flat land. The sunlight shines through the smoke from the kitchen stove, creating a cozy atmosphere in the gradually chilly Northwestern afternoon. The desolate sunset has taken over the place.

After a simple dinner of grilled pork and boiled vegetables, I listened to the sounds of the mountains and forests, and the raindrops falling on the roof of the hut. The next day, I started climbing the mountain at 4am.

There was quite a lot of fog so visibility was limited, but when I got higher, I saw a beautiful sea of ​​clouds. Passing through the bamboo forest and ancient maple trees, I reached the open mountainside with many dwarf rhododendrons and wild daisies. The wide view could see the whole Nam Co commune below and the surrounding high mountain peaks. Enthusiastically recording the nature and the sea of ​​clouds, I reached the top of Lung Cung at 9am.

The journey down the mountain was also full of emotions when the clouds dissipated under the sunlight, revealing the ancient maple trees with brilliant red and yellow colors shining under the blue sky. Although I have climbed many high peaks in Vietnam with wonderful maple forests such as Ta Lien ( Lai Chau ) or Nhiu Co San (Lao Cai), the scenery of Lung Cung still overwhelms me. For me, this is the most beautiful maple forest in Vietnam in late autumn and early winter.