Maple trees in Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province have brightened the local landscape with red and yellow leaves. 

The district presents a transformed spectacle in the months of December and January. One of the most beautiful sights at this time is the Ban Viet Lake.

The aerial view captures the colors dyeing a forest as a road and a river meander through it.

From Hanoi, tourists can take the Hanoi - Bac Giang Expressway, turn into Highway 3A and go north for 13 km to reach the Ban Viet Lake near the Ban Gioc tourist area.

A lakeside road winds its way through the colorful forest. Visitors have the option of exploring old villages of the Tay ethnic minority people in the area.

Ban Viet Lake, which spreads over an area of five hectares, is a great camping and trekking spot. Apart from sightseeing on the winding roads, visitors can take a boat trip on the freshwater lake.

The forest is ablaze with green, yellow, pink, orange and red shades, reminding many people of autumn scenes in North America and Europe. 

Pham Huu Tuyen, author of the photos, said: "Late autumn and early winter is the time when the trees turn from dark green to yellow, glowing red and then gets worn out, creating a landscape that looks like a maple forest in Europe." 

Aerial views best capture the beauty of the forest. Maple trees can grow up to 10 meters in height.

Maple leaves in various shades of crimson and pink. The leaves are fragrant and locals reportedly use them in salads, stir-fried beef and sticky rice.

Early morning is an ideal time to enjoy the lake’s beauty. It can get quite cold in Cao Bang Province at this time – from three to 10 degrees Celsius, so visitors should be adequately dressed in warm clothes.

Cao Bang's Trung Khanh District is also home to Ban Gioc, the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia and the world’s fourth largest along a national border, after the Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls.

Other appealing stops in Cao Bang include Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark, Pac Bo Cave, Nguom Ngao Cave, Thang Hen Lake, and the Phia Oac-Phia Den eco-tourism area. Non Nuoc Cao Bang was named a global geopark by UNESCO in 2018.