Dong Van plateau in the northern province of Ha Giang is graced with buckwheat flowers blooming in profusion under blue skies. 

In the middle of October, Dong Van is smothered by white and pastel pink buckwheat flowers that sway gently in the cool autumn breeze. The amazing view draws hordes of visitors.

Buckwheat flowers are best seen from mid October to late November. In this time period, it constantly changes colors, going from white as a young flower, to pastel pink and then to dark burgundy by the end of its season.

Villagers collect and cook white young buckwheat for daily meals; its seeds are used for making the Dong Van plateau’s specialties like pies and liquor.

Tourists usually take a break to capture this gorgeous view of buckwheat flowers growing all the way from Dong Van District to Lung Cu Commune. You can also go into buckwheat flower farms nearby for a fee of VND10,000 ($0.43) per person.

At this time of the year, the days start out quite cold and cloudy, but gets warmer by noon and clear, blue skies add to the beauty of the landscape.

A view of Tu San Valley and Nho Que River, seen from the 1,200 m high Ma Pi Leng Pass.

The Ma Pi Leng Pass is well known to backpackers and ranks among northern Vietnam's top four mountain passes for their roughness, height and beauty, together with Pha Din (Son La and Dien Bien provinces), O Quy Ho (Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces) and Khau Pha (Yen Bai Province) passes.

Flowing from Seo Lung Village to Seo Lung Hamlet, Lung Cu Commune of Dong Van District, the emerald Nho Que River folds Tu San Valley and the Ma Pi Leng Pass in its embrace.

A village on Ma Pi Leng mountainside.

Ha Giang Province oranges are a must-try when visiting Dong Van. It has a scabrous peel but is very juicy. It is sold on roadsides for around VND30,000 ($1.3) per kilogram.

The Vi Xuyen National Martyrs' Cemetery in Ha Giang's Vi Xuyen District is home to 1,800 Vietnamese soldiers who fought at the Vi Xuyen front in the Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts (1979-1991).