Falling down to the Fatherland Land
The soul flies up to transform into national spirit".
These are two impressive verses carved on solemn wood in the Martyrs' Temple at Dien Bien Phu battlefield - the first stop in the land of ban flower of Dang Thu Ha (from Bac Giang) and her group of friends. During those 4 days and 3 nights, she experienced fresh emotions, from happiness to pride, mixed with nostalgia and emotion.
The pure white color that marks history
Passing through famous tourist attractions associated with historical events in Dien Bien such as A1 Hill, De Castries tunnel, Dien Bien Phu Martyrs' Cemetery to attractive natural sites such as the far West of A Pa Chai or Na Su village, talking, watching the typical xoe dance of the Thai ethnic group, the young female tourist was so happy that it was difficult to express all the emotions throughout the journey.
She expressed: If Dien Bien Phu city, where the famous historical sites are concentrated, gives me the feeling of gratitude, the far West gives me the feeling of being conquered, Na Su village is a hidden beauty like flowers blooming in the mountains and forests. Tourism in Dien Bien is quite good, bringing the beauty of nature, culture, history and people".
The time Autumn Festival visits Dien Bien is also the time when white sunflowers bloom all over the hillsides, along the mountain passes and streets. The battlefields of the past, or the relics engraved with the hard days, the roads that were once subjected to thousands of tons of bombs and bullets, have now become poeticly peaceful.
Every year, from the end of February to the end of April, Dien Bien always puts on the pure white color of the ban flower. The time when the flowers bloom most is around mid-March and lasts for 2-3 weeks, creating a beautiful natural scene.
Thu Ha also took the opportunity to take many beautiful photos under the pure white color of the ban flower, wearing traditional costumes to try to transform into a charming, gentle Thai girl. When coming to Dien Bien, like Thu Ha, many female tourists choose to rent Thai ethnic costumes. In Dien Bien, the Thai ethnic group is the ethnic group with the largest population, accounting for 38.4% of the province's population.
Also visiting Dien Bien in the spring, Ms. Lo Thi Chau (living in Thanh Chan commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province) and her husband have always cherished the desire to have a special photo set under the color of white Ban flower. Therefore, the couple decided to take wedding photos right when the banh hoa was at its peak.
She happily shared: My wife and I both love the rustic, pure, and romantic beauty of banh hoa. Moreover, the color of white flowers seems to symbolize pure, eternal love. Therefore, we put that meaning into the wedding photos with the hope of a strong bond.
Living and growing up in Dien Bien, Ms. Chau is always impressed with each year of ban flower crop in her homeland. When the couple took wedding photos, many local people as well as tourists from all over took the opportunity to record memories of this flower season. From the elderly to the young, of all ages, everyone is excited about having a phone in hand.
Excitingly crowded with the blooming flower season
Under the ban flower trees, long lines of people wait to get satisfactory photo angles. According to Mr. Hoang Van Tuong, a photographer from Dien Bien district, the banyan flowers at Hoa Ban Water Park ( Noong Bua ward, Dien Bien Phu city) have bloomed very beautifully and evenly this year.
He has received many photo invitations from customers during this banh hoa season. Even at the end of each week, when the flowers bloom, the photo shoot schedule is arranged tightly.
"Normally, I take photos of ban flower in a package, customers prepare their own outfits and makeup. A photo set costs 800,000 VND, including the original file and about 30 edited photos, he said.
Ban flower has a unique beauty, symbolizing the purity of the mountains and forests. This flower not only has a natural beauty but is also associated with many stories and cultural meanings of the Thai ethnic group.
Mr. Dao Duc Tung, a photographer in Dien Bien Phu city, said that the cost of taking and renting things ranges from about 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 VND for a set of photos, depending on the requirements of each customer. Just like Mr. Tuong, because the demand for taking photos of ban flower flowers increases sharply at this time, his daily schedule does not have "openness".
Along the routes of Dien Bien Phu City and National Highway 279; Do Cat tunnel area, Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument, Linh Quang pagoda; the road from Dien Bien Phu City to Muong Ang and Muong Cha districts; Muong Lay Town Square area... are the areas where urban banh hoa blooms.
Spending some more time traveling, visitors can visit the Ban flower forest of Du O village, Nong U commune, Dien Bien Dong district (nearly 40km from the center of Dien Bien Phu city) or the ancient Ban valley in Chieu Ly village (Sa Long commune, Muong Cha district, about 40km from the center of Dien Bien Phu city) with about 5,000 concentrated Ban flower trees, many ancient Ban trees are 20 to 30 years old.
These days, the natural scenery of Nam cum village, Ngoi Cay commune, Muong Ang district, is like a fairy tale world. The ancient ban trees with large, rough trunks at the head of the village are covered with white flowers.
1,200 ban flower trees here are decades old and are carefully protected and cared for by local people. Thanks to this advantage, thousands of people have joined hands to build the first community tourism village in Muong Ang district.
This year, the 8th Ban Flower Festival and the Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of Dien Bien province took place from March 13 to 16 in Dien Bien Phu city and Dien Bien district. In particular, choosing to organize it from March 13 every year, coinciding with the opening day of the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign, further adds special significance to the festival.
First held in 2014, the Ban Flower Festival has gone through an impressive development journey, from a local cultural event to a typical tourism product, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Chuyen - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dien Bien, the 2025 Ban Flower Festival is different with many new activities. For the first time, Dien Bien province organized a contest to introduce culture and tourism of districts, towns and cities, to honor and promote the unique cultural beauty of each locality.
Another highlight is the opening ceremony held for the first time at Dien Bien Provincial Stadium, instead of 7.5 Square as in previous years. This change is to ensure a spacious and convenient space for a large number of people and tourists to attend.
In addition, the festival also includes many activities such as: Hoa Ban Beauty Contest; street parade; highland cultural space; bicycle push-ups, bullet loading contest; live show performance and introduction of legend, history and unique folk dances, Thai ethnic folk culture "U Va Heritage"...
