In early October, the area beneath the Lung Cu National Flag Tower in Tuyen Quang province enters its most beautiful flower season, drawing visitors eager to admire the scenery, explore local culture and experience the lives of ethnic minority communities in the northern mountainous region.

A visitor poses for a photo with buckwheat flowers. (Photo: VNA)

With around 70 hectares of buckwheat flowers in bloom and tourism facilities undergoing improvements, Lung Cu is poised to become an appealing destination for the year-end travel season in 2026.

The delicate buckwheat flowers bring a distinctive charm to the Dong Van Karst Plateau each autumn. Once an important food source that helped local communities through periods of food shortages, the flower has become a symbol of tourism in the plateau.

In 2026, Lung Cu commune planted approximately 70 hectares of buckwheat flowers across its 16 villages, including 18.2 hectares in key tourist areas such as Then Pa, Lo Lo Chai, San Tro, Ma Le and Ma So.

Planting is staggered to ensure successive blooming periods, extending the time available for visitors to enjoy the flowers.

Each location offers a different experience. In Then Pa, flower fields blend with the Mong people’s traditional houses nestling against mountain slopes.

In Lo Lo Chai, the blooms add colour to the landscape of earthen-walled houses and stone fences characteristic of the Lo Lo ethnic group. Meanwhile, the flower-covered hillsides of San Tro, Ma Le and Ma So reveal the rugged beauty of the karst plateau.

Visitors can combine flower viewing with a climb up the stone steps to the Lung Cu National Flag Tower, where the Vietnamese national flag flies atop Rong (Dragon) Mountain.

They can then explore nearby villages, enjoy traditional dishes and discover the cultural heritage of local ethnic communities.

Duong Ngoc Duc, Secretary of the Lung Cu commune Party Committee, said buckwheat flowers are a signature tourism product that the locality is seeking to develop further.

The commune is linking flower-growing areas with tourist routes and encouraging residents to maintain the landscape and participate in tourism services.

Lung Cu is also expanding its tourism offerings. Plans include developing a flower garden and green public space near the entrance to the commune centre.

The commune is currently home to 15 restaurants and more than 80 accommodation establishments, while community-based tourism has encouraged locals to preserve traditional households and upgrade facilities to provide lodging, meals, guided tours and local products.

Tran Duc Chung, Chairman of the Lung Cu People’s Committee, said the commune is improving landscapes, protecting the environment and bettering tourism services to create a clean, green and welcoming destination while maintaining cultural identity and natural scenery.

This year’s flower season coincides with the 12th Buckwheat Flower Festival 2026, themed “Echoes of the Karst Plateau”. By combining flower cultivation, upgraded tourist sites and new visitor experiences, Lung Cu hopes to boost year-end tourism and create more livelihood opportunities for local residents.

As the borderland community continues to develop, the buckwheat flowers offer more than scenic beauty. They connect visitors with local traditions and provide residents with new opportunities to uphold their cultural heritage and improve livelihoods.

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