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
Wild apricot and đỗ mai blossoms are transforming the mountains of Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, while vibrant green moss carpets the coastal villages to the east, creating contrasting scenes that signal the arrival of spring across the Central Highlands.
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