Green patches on million-year-old volcanic crater

In the middle of the Gia Lai plateau, Chu Dang Ya volcano puts on a brilliant "yellow coat" during the wild sunflower season, attracting tourists and photographers to come and hunt for the colorful flowers in the cold wind.

Located in Bien Ho commune ( Gia Lai ), Chu Dang Ya is one of the most unique ancient volcanoes in Vietnam. Millions of years after ceasing to be active, the mountain still retains its giant crater on the top and a layer of fertile basalt covering its slopes, creating a landscape that is both majestic and rich.

In early November, when the wild sunflowers bloom, Chu Dang Ya seems to put on a brilliant "yellow coat". The bright colors of the flowers blend with the lush green grass, bringing new life to the mountain town, turning it into an ideal meeting place for tourists and photographers every photo hunting season. The flower season is also the time when Gia Lai enters the first days of the dry season - golden sunshine, clear skies, and cool highland winds.

Wild sunflower is a wildflower of the Central Highlands. Each flower has about 13 petals, bright yellow with orange tints, arranged evenly around a dark yellow pistil like small rays of sunlight. Nurtured from the fertile basalt soil of Chu Dang Ya volcano, the flowers here bloom larger and stronger, the diameter of the flower can reach 10-12 cm, much larger than wild sunflowers in many other regions.

At the foot of the mountain, wild sunflowers grow in rows, covering both sides of the road leading to Chu Dang Ya. The yellow flowers on the green leaves create the perfect backdrop for flower season photos that visitors cannot take their eyes off. The flowers start blooming from mid-November and last until early December, dyeing the entire plateau yellow in the first days of the dry season.

Seen from above, the square rice fields are connected to each other, creating a spectacular natural picture with green and yellow colors interwoven in the heart of the plateau.

From early morning, groups of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City, Hungary and Can Tho were present at Chu Dang Ya to capture the moment when wild sunflowers bloomed. At this time, Gia Lai's temperature ranges from 18 to 27 degrees Celsius - ideal for sightseeing and hunting for photos of the flower season.

At the foot of the mountain is home to ethnic minority communities such as Xo Dang, Ba Na, Gia Rai... Visitors can stay at rustic homestays, learn about the daily life of the people, enjoy local cuisine and experience the unique culture of the Gia Lai highlands.

Do Do - a tourism worker in Mang Den commune (Gia Lai) - shared that although he has admired the scene of wild sunflowers covering the Chu Dang Ya volcano many times, he still cannot help but be fascinated every time he returns. According to Do, in addition to admiring wild sunflowers, tourists can combine a visit to the hundred-year-old pine forest and Bien Ho in the center of Pleiku to fully experience the beauty of Gia Lai land in the dry season.

From November 14 to 16, the 2025 Chu Dang Ya Volcano Wild Sunflower Festival will take place right at the foot of the mountain. In the golden space of the flower season, visitors can admire the wild sunflowers, immerse themselves in the bustling sound of gongs, watch the reenactment of the Ba Na victory celebration and enjoy specialties with strong Gia Lai flavors.

Source: https://znews.vn/mang-xanh-tren-mieng-nui-lua-trieu-nam-tuoi-o-gia-lai-post1601872.html