The season of chi pau flowers is coming on Ta Chi Nhu peak.

Not only is it a place to watch the beautiful sunset, Ta Chi Nhu ( Yen Bai ) is also home to the most brilliant carpet of chi pau flowers in the Northwest. This September, the flowers with the curious name are racing to dye Ta Chi Nhu purple.

Chi pau flower - a flower that blooms only once a year, dyeing Ta Chi Nhu peak purple - Photo: NGUYEN TRONG CUNG

With an altitude of 2,979m, Ta Chi Nhu (Tram Tau district, Yen Bai) is one of the 10 highest mountains in Vietnam. In September, the flower carpets chi pau Also known as gentian flowers, the place is in full bloom, making it an interesting trekking spot combined with flower hunting.

The chi pau flower is a herbaceous flower that usually grows at an altitude of over 2,000m and only blooms once a year. The blooming time is very short, about a week, so many people regret missing the flowering season.

Superb sunset on Ta Chi Nhu peak - Photo: NGUYEN TRONG CUNG

Every September, the chi pau flowers cover the mountainsides of Ta Chi Nhu in purple. This flower has tiny buds with a purple-white color. Although the flowers are small, they bloom in clusters, and the stems and leaves are purple, so you can recognize them from afar.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Cung - a person who has conquered Ta Chi Nhu and successfully hunted for chi pau flowers - the road to Ta Chi Nhu is not too difficult. The total distance for a two-day, one-night journey here is about 24km round trip.

The Ta Chi Nhu trekking route has a very beautiful landscape that gradually changes with the altitude. Sometimes you go through the primeval forest, sometimes you go across streams, through low-canopy forests, grasslands and finally bare hills near the top.

Thanks to the purple color of chi pau flowers covering the hillsides, Ta Chi Nhu becomes an attractive trekking spot every September - Photo: NGUYEN TRONG CUNG

On the top of Ta Chi Nhu, visitors can hunt clouds and sunsets with a 360-degree view. To get here, visitors can choose to climb from Yen Bai or Son La .

If you want to conquer Ta Chi Nhu from Yen Bai, you can take a sleeper bus from Hanoi to Tram Tau. Then continue for about 15km to Mo Chi. It usually takes about 8 hours to reach the top of the mountain if the road is favorable.

When climbing mountains, you should hire a local porter to guide you to avoid getting lost and have the best experience for the trip.

To successfully hunt for chi pau flowers, visitors should ask the tour guide about the specific blooming time and weather conditions to have a detailed trekking plan. The price for a Ta Chi Nhu trekking tour ranges from 2 to 4 million VND.