Đồi cỏ lau hồng ở Đà Lạt bị hoang tàn sau khi bị du khách đạp đổ

When the wild daisies start to enter the final days of the season, Da Lat continues to evoke nostalgia with its romantic pink grass hills that are as beautiful as paintings. In December, when Da Lat enters winter, it is the most beautiful time of the year, so more tourists flock to this place than usual.

The pink grass, also known as rose grass, is not unfamiliar to the mountainous people and the tourists who love Da Lat. It is a type of wild grass that grows in barren land, usually blooming in winter.

This type of grass appears in many mountain passes, hill slopes, and cliffs in the “city of thousands of flowers”. But the area with the most abundant pink grass must be the hillside in Tuy Son village, Xuan Tho commune.

About 13km from the night market, tourists head towards Highway 20 to reach the pink grass hill. Visitors who have been here say that the road is easy to travel. Even with just a smartphone, searching on Google Maps for the keyword “Pink Grass Xuan Tho” will provide specific directions.

Originally just a common grass species that can withstand drought, but when in bloom, the hillside turns uniformly pink and smooth. Sometimes due to lack of sunlight, they slightly change to a purple hue. Whenever a gentle breeze blows through, the carpet of flowers sways down, sparkling and alluring.

Mr. Dao Khac Vu, 23 years old, originally from Dak Lak but has been connected to Da Lat for over 5 years. Currently, he lives near the pink grass hill and witnesses every change in this place.

“At the moment when the wild daisies have withered, the pink grass hill is the most popular tourist attraction in Da Lat. The end of November and beginning of December is the best time to come here for photos,” remarked Mr. Vu. “Initially, the grass hill was naturally beautiful, but when many young people came to take photos and videos and shared them on social media, a large number of tourists flocked here causing congestion. Some even parked their cars blocking the way, causing difficulties for the farmers in the nearby area,” Mr. Vu said.

In order to preserve the beauty, Mr. Vu put up guidance signs for visitors to follow existing trails, not to litter aimlessly, and avoid trampling and damaging the area. But the 23-year-old man realized that “he couldn’t do it alone.”

“At the beginning, I provided free spring water for guests who came to take photos and collected trash. But the situation where guests did not follow the designated path, trampled on the grass hill to get unique photos, made this place even more damaged. Even though everyone wants beautiful photos, young people should raise awareness to preserve the common beauty,” Mr. Vu expressed.

At present, Mr. Vu said that most of the grass hill area has been “destroyed” due to excessive trampling. Even the “do not litter” signs have been uprooted. He feels “regretful that one of the attractive natural destinations has been destroyed by some irresponsible tourists.”

Living near this area, Mr. Vu hopes to contribute a small effort to maintaining general cleanliness. However, the most important thing is still the awareness of each individual.

And in recent days, as the video depicting the moment the grass hill becomes deteriorated was shared widely on social media, many people expressed sadness and regret.

“The pink grass hill isn’t withering yet, but it’s about to lose its beauty. A once romantic hillside now looks bleak. If the situation does not improve, in just a few days this place will become a wild grass hill,” commented Ms. Minh Anh, a young tourist from Ho Chi Minh City.

“I just came here to take photos at the end of November. At that time, there were not many people, so the grass hill was still very romantic. Just over a week has passed, and this place has deteriorated too quickly,” a user named Huyen Anh shared.

Photos: Dao Khac Vu