Why are persimmon trees in Ha Giang the 'most miserable in the world'?

In the center of Lo Lo Chai village (Lung Cu commune, Tuyen Quang province, old Ha Giang ), in front of a homestay located on the main slope, a persimmon tree with its canopy extending beyond the fence has become a popular check-in spot.

Every weekend, tourists line up to take photos, causing traffic jams on the road in front of the homestay. Many people jokingly call this " the world's most miserable rose tree".

Tourists check in with a persimmon tree in front of a homestay in Lo Lo Chai village on November 22. Photo: Hieu Rua, Character provided.

New check-in point in Lo Lo Chai

Homestay owner Truong Linh said that the first time she came to Lo Lo Chai on Tet 2023, she was immediately attracted by the peacefulness of the village.

She called this "fate", decided to stick with it and open a homestay even though at that time Lo Lo Chai was not as famous as it is today. The village was still primitive, with only a few households dabbling in the accommodation business.

The old house Linh rented only retained the stone fence and the old earthen house, the landscape was almost non-existent. From the mossy stone walls, she immediately thought of planting typical trees of the rocky plateau such as peach, plum, pear and especially persimmon.

The rose tree was brought by Linh from another region of Ha Giang to plant in the homestay campus in early 2023. After Tet, the tree began to bloom, bear fruit in the summer and turned golden yellow at the end of September.

The persimmons are heavy on the tree until the end of the New Year, creating the most attractive check-in corner in the village.

The rose tree is planted in the homestay grounds, spreading its branches outside to create a check-in corner. Photo: Provided by the character.

Lo Lo Chai is a community tourism village, there is no entrance fee for each homestay so any visitor can freely stop to take pictures.

"The house with the yin-yang tiled roof and the ancient stone fence creates a natural harmony. I planted a rose tree there to match the landscape," the homestay owner shared.

On weekends, so many people stop to take pictures that the area around the persimmon tree is jammed.

However, the popularity also causes the persimmon tree to encounter many troubles. Many curious tourists, seeing ripe yellow fruits, conveniently pick them to test whether they are real or fake.

Although the tree has not been significantly damaged, the homestay owner believes that every visitor to the village needs to be aware of preserving the landscape, because a damaged tree branch or patch of grass also reduces the overall beauty.

In addition to rose trees, the homestay also grows many other native plants. On the stone fence, Lo Lo people grow small succulents all year round, creating a unique green color.

In the village there are also lotus plants with round leaves and yellow or orange flowers that cover the rocky shores, one of the characteristics of local architecture.

To date, Linh’s homestay is still the only place in the village that has persimmon trees. She hopes that in the future, people will plant more to diversify the village landscape.

Persimmon tree when it is ripe. Photo: Character provided.

Challenge

During the peak tourist season in Ha Giang from October to the end of April next year, the number of visitors to Lo Lo Chai is always crowded.

According to Linh, this year the village received a lot of attention after winning the title of "World's Best Tourist Village", plus the favorable weather meant that the homestays were almost fully booked on weekends.

Mr. Tran Duc Chung, Chairman of Lung Cu Commune People's Committee, said that since October, the number of visitors to Lung Cu has increased sharply, about 10,000 visitors/week, sometimes even 12,000-15,000 visitors/week. Among them, Lo Lo Chai is the most popular place.

The international title and the surge in visitors brought pride, but also came with big challenges.

"When too many visitors come, the peace of Lo Lo Chai gradually disappears. Many people rush to follow social media trends and don't have time to stop and feel the inherent tranquility of the village," Linh said.

Panoramic view of homestay with persimmon tree in front of the door, located at the foot of Lung Cu flagpole.

The overload of visitors also makes the village's facilities unable to meet the demand, while room capacity is limited and people working in tourism have not received proper training.

Recently, some freelance brokers have collected rooms at homestays and resold them to tourists at prices 2-3 times higher.

This group of brokers often deposits or buys rooms under the name of individual guests, then "locks" the rooms and advertises them for sale on travel groups, making it difficult for homestay owners to control.

Lung Cu Commune immediately took action and asked households to stop cooperating with this brokerage group to protect the public image.

In addition to the pressure of rapidly increasing tourist numbers, the village's infrastructure is also under great pressure.

The power grid is often unstable, with power outages easily occurring on weekends. Water supply is also not guaranteed during peak hours, forcing many households to make do day by day.

The problem of waste has also become a concern as many tourists leave plastic cups on the wall next to the rose trees or along the paths. This creates an additional burden for the village which is used to a peaceful life.

Tourists flock to Lo Lo Chai village on November 22. Photo: Hieu Rua.

Despite facing many difficulties, Linh believes that the government is making great efforts and needs more time to upgrade infrastructure to accommodate the number of visitors.

"We also always try to welcome visitors as thoughtfully as possible, to be worthy of the title 'World's Best Tourist Village'," she said.

Source: https://znews.vn/vi-sao-cay-hong-o-ha-giang-khoi-nhat-the-gioi-post1605491.html