Rubber forests across Gia Lai are reaching the height of their annual leaf-shedding season, transforming vast highland areas into sweeping vistas of yellow, red and brown beneath the rotating blades of nearby wind turbines.
Rows of rubber trees stand in perfect alignment, their fallen leaves carpeting the path, signaling the arrival of the year’s end. Photo: Hoàng Hoài
The spectacle, which typically begins in late December and lasts until March, sees entire forests shift from lush green to autumn-like tones. Fallen leaves blanket the ground, forming one of the region’s most distinctive year-end landscapes.
The road winding through the rubber forest during leaf-shedding season offers a sense of tranquility and peace in the Gia Lai highlands. Photo: Hoàng Hoài
The seasonal change marks the rubber trees’ biological dormancy, during which latex tapping is suspended to allow the trees to recover and grow.
With no activity from latex collection, the forests take on a quieter, more contemplative atmosphere, contrasting with their usual daily movement.
In recent years, the emergence of wind farms has amplified the scene’s visual impact.
White turbines rising above the color-changing canopy create images reminiscent of fall landscapes in South Korea or Japan, adding a modern backdrop to a long-standing natural cycle in the Central Highlands.
Wind turbines stand out amidst the leaf-shedding rubber forests. Photo: Hoàng Hoài To fully appreciate the beauty of the leaf-shedding season, one must weave through each plot of rubber trees. Photo: Hoàng Hoài
In the soft glow of the afternoon sun, the rubber forests in leaf-shedding season appear as a contemplative painting of the highlands at year’s end. Photo: Hoàng Hoài Rubber forests in leaf-shedding season beneath the wind farms in Gia Lai. Photo: Hoàng Hoài Beyond its poetic scenery, this landscape also reflects Gia Lai’s transformation and development. Photo: Hoàng Hoài Gia Lai’s leaf-shedding season is not only beautiful for its scenery but also for the clean energy values spreading across the red basalt soil. Photo: Hoàng Hoài
Mesmerizing beauty of the rubber leaf-shedding season beneath the wind farms in Gia Lai. Video: Hoàng Hoài - Phương Loan
Vietnam recorded around 14 million tourist arrivals during the nine-day Bính Ngọ Lunar New Year 2026 holiday, marking a 12% increase from the same period last year, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
Gia Lai welcomed an estimated 848,000 visitors during the 2026 Bính Ngọ Lunar New Year, generating tourism revenue of 900 billion VND (approx. USD 36 million), according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
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Quy Nhon has been named among the world’s top 25 trending destinations for 2026, securing fourth place in the travelers’ choice awards Best of the Best by Tripadvisor, the leading global online travel platform.
Bright red pơ lang blossoms are transforming the border route along National Highway 19B in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, drawing travelers toward the Lệ Thanh International Border Gate as spring approaches.
Gia Lai Province and the Vietnam Tourism Association have agreed on a series of strategic cooperation initiatives to prepare for Vietnam’s National Tourism Year 2026.
Drifting beneath honey-gold light on a late-year afternoon, Bien Ho Lake in Gia Lai province reveals itself as a serene meeting point of sky and water, where the highlands seem to pause on the threshold of spring.
(GLO) – On the afternoon of February 13, the People’s Committee of Nhơn Châu Commune held a grand inauguration ceremony for the decorative installation and the cluster of mascots welcoming the Year of the Horse 2026, creating a vibrant highlight for the island commune’s festive New Year atmosphere.
Quy Nhon is expanding community-based initiatives and developing new tourism products as the coastal city works to preserve its “ASEAN Clean Tourist City” title and prepare for major opportunities linked to National Tourism Year 2026.
Tourism products from Gia Lai Province are attracting significant visitor interest at the ongoing 2026 Spring Fair in Hanoi, offering distinctive Central Highlands experiences and contributing to the promotion of the province ahead of the National Tourism Year.
Gia Lai Province will promote its cultural identity and tourism potential in Hanoi on February 1 - 2 during “Gia Lai Day,” held as part of the “Hanoi Tourism welcomes 2026 - Get on Hanoi 2026” program.
A major tourism initiative featuring 244 cultural, sporting and promotional events was announced in Hanoi on February 2, marking the launch of the National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026.
The King Sejong Institute Quy Nhon on January 29 signed a memorandum of understanding with Anya Hotel Group Quy Nhon to expand cooperation in Korean language training, cultural exchange and tourism development in Gia Lai Province.
Gia Lai province introduced its tourism potential and the theme of National Tourism Year 2026 at the “Gia Lai Day in Hanoi” event held Friday on Trinh Cong Son Street in Tay Ho District, aiming to boost national and international visibility for the Central Highlands locality.
Pleiku Ward on January 30 officially launched “Chợ Nhỏ Night Street,” a new cultural and tourism space designed to stimulate the local night-time economy and expand community-based activities.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has approved the project for National Tourism Year 2026, confirming the title “National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026”, with the English name “Visit Viet Nam Year - Gia Lai 2026”.
The Secretary of the Party Committee of Pleiku Ward, Nguyen Xuan Phuoc, inspected final preparations on January 27 for the opening ceremony of the “Cho Nho night street” event, scheduled for January 30.
Miss Hoàng Thùy has completed an eight-hour trekking journey to the summit of Chư Nâm Mountain in Bien Ho commune, the highest peak in the western region of Gia Lai province, reaching an altitude of 1,472 metres above sea level.
More than four years after being designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the Kon Hà Nừng Plateau is entering a new phase focused on implementing concrete measures to balance conservation with local socio-economic development, authorities said.
Gia Lai province is positioning itself as a major tourism hub as it prepares to host and co-organise activities for Vietnam’s National Tourism Year 2026, a move local authorities and businesses see as a catalyst for sustainable growth and brand-building.
Artificial “snow” displays transformed parts of Ho Chi Minh City into festive attractions on Christmas Eve, drawing large crowds to cafés, churches and Catholic neighborhoods across the city.
In 2025, Vietnam is expected to welcome 21.5 million international visitors for the first time. This milestone sets the stage for the tourism sector to aim even higher in 2026, targeting 25 million foreign arrivals.
