Hang En Waterfall, located in the core zone of Kon Chu Rang National Park in Gia Lai Province, is often described as the "heart" of the vast forest.
During the dry season, the red-orange blossoms of silk cotton trees blanket the mountainsides, adding a dreamlike backdrop to the waterfall and captivating visitors and photographers alike.
From the coastal city of Quy Nhon, a group of visitors and photographers traveled nearly 100 kilometers to the forest entrance on the former border between Binh Dinh Province and Gia Lai Province, which have now both been merged into Gia Lai Province.
From there, the group continued another 9 kilometers through forest trails by motorcycle before hiking over steep slopes beneath the canopies of centuries-old trees to reach the core area of Kon Chu Rang.
According to local guides, the dry season is the best time to explore Hang En Waterfall.
It is also the season when many forest flowers are in bloom, most notably the ancient silk cotton trees, whose crowns burst into brilliant red-orange blossoms.
Amid the tranquility of the forest, Hang En Waterfall appears like a ribbon of white silk cascading from a towering cliff across the A Yun River.
Rising more than 50 meters, Hang En Waterfall is also known as K50 Waterfall. Depending on the season, the waterfall ranges from about 20 to 100 meters in width. It is a single-drop waterfall plunging from a cliff overhang that forms a natural dome. Behind the curtain of water is a rocky chamber resembling a swallow's cave, where numerous swallows nest.
This unique geological formation allows the water to descend in a thin, silky veil, creating an ethereal landscape.
Ancient silk cotton trees grow alongside the waterfall. In June and July, their blossoms cover part of the forest in vivid red-orange hues, further enhancing the beauty of Hang En. After shedding their leaves, the trees erupt simultaneously into bloom, resembling flames scattered across the deep green wilderness.
As night falls, Kon Chu Rang takes on an entirely different appearance.
Many photographers wade into the cold stream, patiently selecting their compositions before using long exposures of between 30 minutes and more than two hours to capture star trails above the waterfall.
The resulting images showcase the night sky, ancient forest, and cascading water blending into a pristine landscape shaped by nature over millions of years.
