Cu Lao Cham in the season of royal poinciana flowers

This is the right time for tourists to visit Cu Lao Cham to see the royal poinciana flower season. Photo: Quoc Tuan

Since the end of July, the parasol flowers have been dotted with colors in many corners of the Cu Lao Cham forest. In Hon Lao, parasol trees grow everywhere, clustered in clumps on the hillside, scattered along the cliffs close to the beach or occasionally on the roadside, people come across a "lonely" parasol tree whispering beside a clear stream.

The parasol flower is an indicator of the strong vitality of the land and islanders as it grows from the cliffs, adapts to the barrenness and blooms during the hottest time of the year.

If the royal poinciana flowers of Hue (blooming around April every year) are famous for their elegant faded pink color, typical of a "royal flower" associated with the royal court, the royal poinciana flowers of Cu Lao Cham island are bright red, reflecting the strong, generous features of the residents at the forefront of the waves and winds.

Before tourism development, the parasol tree was already a tree closely associated with the lives of Cu Lao Cham residents. Some parts of the parasol tree can be processed into medicine, essential oils and especially used to weave hammocks. Each parasol hammock costs at least several million VND, helping to significantly improve the livelihoods of the people.

The blooming season of the parasol flowers usually lasts quite a long time (about more than 1 month), so it is suitable for attracting visitors to "check-in". The most beautiful parasol flower area that visitors can easily access in Cu Lao Cham is at the beginning of Bai Xep.

Royal poinciana flowers in full bloom at Bai Xep, Cu Lao Cham. Photo: Quoc Tuan

Here, there is a garden of parasol trees with dozens of trees growing gently on the hillside, right next to the main road. Surely most visitors lost in this area must be amazed by the magical beauty of nature and take the opportunity to capture impressive pictures among the "forest of parasol flowers" at Bai Xep.

Recognizing the diverse potential of the parasol tree, in recent years the local government has actively propagated this tree species on the island, even building a road named “Red Parasol” over 300m long with the expectation of increasing the tourism value of this area. Since 2022, the locality has organized the festival “Cu Lao Cham - Red Parasol Flower Season” and maintained it annually to promote the unique value of the parasol tree.

Ms. Pham Thi My Huong, Chairwoman of Tan Hiep Commune People's Committee, informed that this year, due to some reasons, the locality did not organize the festival "Cu Lao Cham - red parasol flower season" but also implemented some solutions to enhance communication and attract visitors. Among them is the activity "sharing moments with parasol flowers" deployed from August 5-12 with some special souvenirs.

In 2015, a group of 3 parasol trees (about 155 - 250 years old) in the Tinh stream slope area were recognized as heritage trees by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment. In 2024, the traditional craft of weaving parasol hammocks was also recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/cu-lao-cham-mua-hoa-ngo-dong-3299164.html