Festival-goers experience paragliding over extinct volcano

The wild sunflower festival is held in Chu Dang Ya and Nghia Hung communes of Chu Pah district in the Central Highland province of Gia Lai from November 11 to November 17.

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Festival-goers are able to enjoy the breathtaking landscape created by yellow wild sunflower carpets and majestic mountains from a bird-eye view as they fly together with a professional paraglider.

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During the course of the festival as many as 50 paragliders from clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, and Da Nang put on performances, drawing plenty of attention from both residents and tourists.

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Paragliders are able to enjoy the entirety of the extinct volcano covered in yellow wild sunflowers from high above.

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Each tourist is able to pay VND1.2 million for each time they experience paragliding.

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As a means of ensuring safety during the flight, paragliders conduct safety tests before paragliding over the Chu Dang Ya extinct volcano.

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Located in Ploi lagri village of Chu Dang Ya commune in Chu Pah district of Gia Lai province, Chu Dang Ya has been left as an inactive volcano for millions of years.

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Chu Dang Ya is situated about 30km from the centre of Pleiku city to the northeast and rises 500m above sea level. In the J'rai ethnic language, Chu Dang Ya means “wild ginger root”.

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An aerial view of the Chu Dang Ya extinct volcano

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Moving into the dry season, the entire area is brightened with brilliant yellow of wild sunflowers and bright pink grass, thereby creating a vivid and lively picture.

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During periods of global geological upheaval which occurred tens of millions of years ago, Gia Lai used to be located in an area of more than 30 active volcanoes. Today, there are still vestiges of the volcanoes, which are now covered with green prairies.

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In 2018 British newspaper Daily Mail listed Chu Dang Ya volcano as one of world's most jaw-dropping volcanic landscapes.

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Visitors to Chu Dang Ya between late October and December can admire the blooming season of wild sunflowers which create a typical image for the Central Highlands region and Gia Lai province in particular.

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Since 2018, Chu Dang Ya has been selected to host the annual Sunflower Festival, which sees the arrival of hundreds of travelers each year.

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Many people flock to the region as they seek to enjoy the beautiful landscape when the wild sunflowers bloom, as well as enjoy paragliding over the extinct volcano.