Mu Cang Chai during the rice harvest season.

The unique landscapes of Northwest Vietnam, and the captivating beauty of the harvest season, have drawn countless visitors, simply to gaze upon the vast expanse of golden fields.

Instead of going to Mu Cang Chai, we stayed overnight at a homestay in La Pan Tan, as it was conveniently located for visiting the terraced rice fields during the harvest season.

Actually, this isn't my first time going to Northwest Vietnam, nor is it the first time I've been so eager to travel just to see the ripening rice fields. I've been to Sa Pa many times, wandering through the rice paddies until my back was drenched in sweat, admiring the golden rice slopes, or taking the cable car to the summit of Fansipan and looking down at the Muong Hoa valley like a golden carpet—a beauty that captivates the heart. But admiring the rice fields in Mu Cang Chai feels like a true conquest, a satisfying experience on any travel journey.

Raspberry Hill

In late August and throughout September, the green rice fields turn yellow, and this golden season lasts for about a month, followed by the harvest. Right at the La Pán Tẩn intersection, dozens of local motorbike taxi drivers are always on standby, ready to take you to tourist attractions. The reason you need a motorbike taxi is because the road is extremely dangerous, only about 0.6 meters wide, with steep inclines and declines, and sometimes with a cliff beside you.

Even renting a motorbike to explore on your own can be a difficult task because you're not familiar with those roads.

The homestay provides dinner and breakfast for guests, as there are no shops or restaurants in the area. The cafes close by 5 PM, and there's a small market selling various traditional textiles and medicinal herbs. The owner of the homestay used to be a forest ranger, so he's very good at organizing meals. Motorbikes are also available if you're brave enough to rent one yourself.

The road to Mu Cang Chai

We chose to go to Mu Cang Chai, and the motorbike taxi drivers gave us helmets for safety, then they just went along the road that was undoubtedly very familiar to them.

There's a steep, winding path through the terraced rice fields, with golden ripe rice paddies below, as beautiful as an artist mixing colors. But the rice paddies in La Pán Tẩn are quite similar to those in Sa Pa, so we just stopped to take a few photos, admire the sky and clouds, and then continued on our way.

The journey to see the golden rice fields was about 10km long, but sitting behind the motorbike driver was sometimes heart-stopping. The slopes were very steep, sometimes winding along the mountains, through the fields, and the motorbike sped along. But the motorbike driver, who had surely carried countless passengers who had experienced that feeling of fear, said: "Don't worry, sir, I drive extremely safely."

There, precariously situated by the roadside, is a parking lot, and tickets are sold at a station along the way. Upon arrival, you'll be captivated by the magical scenery of golden rice paddies in season, sometimes stretching far below, sometimes curving in an arc, sometimes nestled against the mountainside, with the main highlight being the rice paddies resembling mounds of sticky rice.

In Mu Cang Chai, you can rent traditional Tay ethnic costumes. Tay is an ethnic group that makes up 17% of the population in Yen Bai province and lives in large numbers in Mu Cang Chai and Van Chan districts. They even have baskets to carry a few sprigs of yellow mustard flowers or buckwheat flowers.

Everyone tries to climb the raspberry hill, and is surprised to discover that the hill, with its circular shape and a diameter of about 10 meters, can be used to grow rice. The golden ripe rice stalks shimmering against the sky are a beautiful sight for those strolling around today, and provide a livelihood for the farmers.

It's also about the winds carrying the fragrance of ripening rice, and the magical, endless golden terraced rice fields. You just need to set off to encounter them.

(According to 24h, September 21, 2023)

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