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
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.
Quy Nhon received the “ASEAN clean tourist city 2026” title at the ASEAN Tourism Awards on January 30, held during the 45th ASEAN Tourism Forum at the Nustar Convention Center in Cebu City.
Gia Lai is preparing for a sharp rise in visitor numbers during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday in 2026, as the province readies to host Vietnam’s National Tourism Year 2026. Authorities and businesses say the festive season is expected to kick-start a vibrant year for local tourism.
Gia Lai authorities on Wednesday called for intensified preparations for National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026, urging all units to strictly follow the approved plan and ensure high-quality communication efforts to attract domestic and international visitors.
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.
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.
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.
Laos has been selected as one of the world’s leading travel destinations for 2026 by global travel publication TravelPulse, following an evaluation conducted by a council of international travel experts and consultants.
TasteAtlas has released its latest ranking of the 100 best dishes in Vietnam, based on 8,499 diner reviews collected as of January 10, 2026. The culinary platform validated 5,537 of those ratings to compile the list.
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.
A newly released bilingual book offers a comprehensive and evocative portrait of Vietnam’s seas and islands, highlighting their central role in the nation’s history, culture and development.
The gradual rollout of a night-time economy in central wards is opening fresh development opportunities for western Gia Lai, as local authorities seek to build more dynamic, round-the-clock urban areas.
A street food festival in Pleiku Ward has drawn large crowds in the lead-up to the New Year, offering a lively showcase of local cuisine and One Commune One Product (OCOP) specialties as part of a countdown programme to welcome 2026.
A scientific project to develop a set of green tourism criteria linked to unique tourism products in the Kon Hà Nừng Plateau World Biosphere Reserve is underway in Gia Lai province, aiming to promote sustainable tourism development and community livelihoods.
A former traditional martial artist from Vietnam’s Central Highlands is carving out a new path in the culinary world, blending Western techniques with local ingredients to tell the story of his homeland through food.
Gia Lai province welcomed its first air travelers of 2026 on January 1, marking the start of a year-long tourism drive tied to the National Tourism Year – Gia Lai 2026.
