The Ancient Tea Tree Forest on Pu Ta Leng Peak

The ancient tea trees nestled amid towering Pu Ta Leng are a precious gift that nature has bestowed on Lai Chau, a frontier land of the Fatherland.

A priceless gift from nature

Pu Ta Leng is a mountain peak in Ta Leng commune, Tam Duong district, Lai Chau province, on the border between Lao Cai province (Bat Xat district) and Lai Chau province. In the language of the Dao ethnic people living in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province, Pu Ta Leng (Phu Ta Leng) is pronounced Pu Ta Leng, in which "Pu" means "mountain" while Ta Leng is the place name of this area; perhaps that is how the name Putaleng came about. Standing 3,049m above sea level, it truly deserves the title "Pu Ta Leng, the fairy-tale forest".

Putaleng boasts rich and diverse flora and fauna that thrive lush and natural. This pristine wilderness, combined with the beauty of majestic, layered mountain ranges, creates a truly dazzling picture of Putaleng.

From an altitude of 2,500m above sea level lies a primeval forest of ancient tea trees hundreds of years old. Ancient tree tea is a rare specialty tea, often called Pu Ta Leng Snow Shan tea by local people. Many trees reach several tens of meters high, with rugged, moss-covered trunks and lush foliage, drifting in the early morning mist amid the majestic forest.

The ancient tea trees living high in the mountains grow naturally, absorbing the soil and the air and steeped in the fragrance of the mountain forest, distilling their essence into every tender young bud. The ancient tea trees on Pu Ta Leng peak have large trunks with many branches spreading out horizontally along the ground, canopies several meters wide, and grow interspersed with many other plants. The largest tea trunks are as wide as a person's full embrace, like large timber trees.

Comrade Tran Tien Dung - Chairman of the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee surveys an ancient tea tree in the primeval forest on the way to Pu Ta Leng.

However, conquering Putaleng peak to see the ancient tea trees with your own eyes and touch the fresh young tea buds with your own hands is not easy at all. The trails are extremely difficult, slope after slope, pass after pass, as if trying to drain every bit of the climber's strength, yet this is exactly what further fuels people's thirst for challenge and discovery.

For those looking for a mountain to climb to test themselves, Putaleng is surely an ideal suggestion not to be missed. Compared with other highest mountains in Vietnam such as Fansipan or Bach Moc Luong Tu, Putaleng is rated highly for its difficulty as well as danger.

With its rugged rocky terrain and steep slopes, you should choose dry, clear days to start your climbing journey to ensure safety. According to the experience of many people who have climbed Putaleng, the period from around late April to May each year is considered the most ideal time.

From the summit, you can take in a panoramic view of the entire surrounding landscape: mountainsides covered in lush green, wild flowers adding splashes of color, and a sky as blue as the sea. How proud we are that our country is blessed with such beautiful scenery. Looking down from the summit, you feel proud to have overcome hundreds, even thousands of challenges along the way to conquer the second highest peak in Vietnam.

Source: baophapluat.vn

Date: 29/04/2022