Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom at Mong Dao Nguyen

A Mountainside Awash in Pink

On a bright but biting-cold Sunday morning in Da Lat, Lieng Hot Ha Set, 34, a Cil resident of Dang Gia Rit B Village in Lang Biang-Da Lat Ward, set out with his family to harvest coffee on their hillside farm. While tourists struggled uphill in Jeep vehicles along a narrow, rock-strewn track, thick with dust, potholes, and deep ruts, Ha Set calmly guided his four-wheel-drive pickup upward. “We’re used to this road,” he said with a smile.

The roughly three-kilometer climb to the mountain crest becomes especially busy during blossom season. Motorbikes hauling sacks of coffee, Jeeps ferrying visitors, and streams of riders arriving from Da Lat all vie for space on the powdery road.

Yet the reward is immediate. Near the destination, the scenery shifts dramatically: vast forested slopes glow with layers of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Following the forest trail deeper inside, visitors are met with birdsong, crisp mountain air, and cherry blossoms growing among native trees. Below lies a broad valley, where the blue waters of Dan Kia Lake shimmer in the cool season, bordered by long stretches of white greenhouse roofs.

Pointing toward the hillside now known as Mong Dao Nguyen, Ha Set recalled that his community once lived further inside the forest. The Cil village, home to more than a hundred households, traditionally cultivated upland fields near the headwaters feeding Dan Kia Lake. In contrast, the Lach people settled lower in the valley, close to water sources, growing wet rice along the lakeshore.

After national reunification, the village’s isolation and difficult access led authorities to relocate residents, first to this very area of Mong Dao Nguyen, and later to what is now Dang Gia Rit B Village, today the center of Lang Biang-Da Lat Ward.

Although now living closer to town, many families continue to farm coffee on their former lands, including plots around Mong Dao Nguyen. According to Ha Set, the cherry blossom trees were originally planted around homes and fields as living fences and boundary markers. Over time, birds carried the ripe fruit into the forest, where countless new trees took root. Each spring, the blossoms unfurl almost simultaneously, transforming the entire mountainside into a sea of pink.

“There are thousands of cherry blossom trees here, deep in the forest,” Ha Set said. “They bloomed early this year, but the flowers are especially beautiful. I only hope the road will be upgraded soon.”

A Spontaneous Tourist Destination

For flower lovers, Mong Dao Nguyen has become a familiar name in recent years. No one seems certain who coined it, but its poetic charm alone is enough to attract attention. A quick online search now provides clear directions, and during peak bloom, the area draws a growing number of visitors.

Each spring, cars and motorbikes, some bearing license plates from other provinces, crowd the concrete road leading into the area, often causing traffic congestion in the early morning. At the end of the road, local households have opened paid parking areas, while Jeep services shuttle visitors to and from Mong Dao Nguyen for about VND 100,000 per person per round trip, with each vehicle carrying 5-7 passengers.

“Tourism here has remained spontaneous over the past few years,” said Nguyen Thi Thu, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Lang Biang-Da Lat Ward. “Because access is difficult, the ward has not yet developed this area into an official tourist site.”

To support Lam Dong’s cherry blossom celebrations, local authorities have focused on caring for thousands of cherry blossom trees planted along the main Lang Biang road leading up the mountain. However, this season only a small number of roadside trees have bloomed so far.

Along the route into Mong Dao Nguyen, several privately operated check-in spots have also appeared. Many observers say the time has come for Lang Biang-Da Lat Ward and Lam Dong Province to develop a clear plan to preserve this natural cherry blossom forest, protecting its landscape while turning it into a well-managed, ideal destination for springtime flower viewing.