波来古市附近的Chu Dang Ya火山，越南嘉来 Chu Dang Ya near Pleiku in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (© Quang Ngoc Nguyen/Alamy)

波来古市附近的Chu Dang Ya火山，越南嘉来 Chu Dang Ya near Pleiku in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam (© Quang Ngoc Nguyen/Alamy)

A sleeping green giant

We're looking down on Chu Dang Ya, an extinct volcano that last erupted millions of years ago. Located in the Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, Chu Dang Ya, means 'wild ginger' or perhaps 'tough ginger root' in the local Jarai language. The volcano provides fertile soil for crops such as pumpkins, sweet potatoes, taro, and more. Among the best times to visit this rural gem is at the beginning of the rainy season, in late April and early May, and as the rains wind down in November. That's when Chu Dang Ya takes it up a notch—its hillsides erupt with sunflower and other wildflower blooms along roadways, dirt paths, and fields.

一个沉睡的绿色巨人

我们正在俯瞰楚荡崖，一座上一次喷发于数百万年前的死火山。楚当崖位于越南中部高地的嘉莱省，在当地的加莱语中，意思是“野姜”或“坚韧的姜根”。火山为南瓜、红薯、芋头等作物提供了肥沃的土壤。在雨季的开始、4月下旬和5月初，以及11月的雨季，参观这块乡村宝石的最佳时机之一。就在这时，楚当崖把它带上了一个台阶，山坡上开满了向日葵和其他野花，它们沿着公路、土路和田野盛开。