Moc Chau- air of Spring

Moc Chau (Son La) has become a favourite new destination for both daytrippers and vacationers thanks to its fresh air, green plateau atmosphere, good roads, recent devel- oped infrastructure, and especially its fresh milk products.

As if those were not enough, there is also a unique contest held here every year -the ‘Miss Cow Pageant’. Such specialities are enough to attract tourists eager to visit this peaceful plateau.Moc Chau is one of the popular tourist destinations of Vietnam tour.

Unlike other northwestern destinations, the road to Moc Chau was not so challenging, however, the scenery and landscape were truly irresistible. Ten kilometres before MocChau Commune, there is a beautiful road, meandering between two mountains and a green forest. This road lead to Ba Phach,a favourite destination for daytrip- pers and photographers. The lowlands of Ba Phach feature a village of Thai people; while up on the mountain are another three villages inhabited by Mong Xanh people.

From the top of the mountain, one can view a valley, which appears almost white due to the mass of end-of-season flowers, like clouds flowing to infinity. On the other side is a massive area of Moc Chau plateau which disappears to the horizon. The colours of the grass and the young corn all add a fresh green to this amazing scenic painting. The incredible landscape here easily lures people to an overnight stay;even though there is no hotel, or even a hostel, here. There are only some wooden-hous- es, hidden under the shade of a forest of plum trees.

The Internet is now abuzz with pictures of this place, taken by numerous photographers, both amateur and professional, all undeni-ably beautiful. However, given that this upland plateau is usually covered in fog, especially in the afternoon, the ‘windows of opportunity’ for catching a good picture are limited.

There is only one hour in the morning and another in the evening when this place shows its true beauty. At such times, lowland tourists have to quickly borrow, or more accurately rent, traditional Mong Xanh attire to pose for pictures. The colour of the dress, perhaps surprisingly, closely resembles the natural colours found in this Northwest terrain.

While it may take a little time to put on this costume, you are guaranteed photos that are sure to attract many viewers to your facebook page. Having witnessed many tourists visiting this place, the local people still get excited every time they see tourists donning their traditional costumes. In just a few minutes a whole village, from the young to the elderly, are out cheenly watching a tourist taking pictures.

Unlike in many other tourist destinations, where local people might ask for tips for having their picture taken by pho- tographers, here people shyly hideaway. Photographers can only take photos of them from a safe distance using a telephoto lens. However, the children here are active, so their photos will still be full of life and beauty.
For those who haven’t yet visited Ba Phach, there is still plenty of time to catch a great flower season. Tourists can easily see the charming scenery here in any season.

Right now, the flowers are in full bloom and at their most beautiful, but the plum forest is just starting to flourish. Once winter passes and spring comes, the plum flowers will burst out in bloom ltke white clouds flowing in the sky.
‘I have been there a couple of times now and always want to come back, because this land offers up the most amazing scenery from season to season. Just by looking at the grass, the hills, and the leaves, people can easily find peace, relaxation and Joy’, said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, on returning to Hanoi from his trip to Moc Chau with friends