The season of sowing hope in Na Lac valley

In late March and early April, after the first rains of the season, the terraced rice fields in the highlands enter the plowing and planting season. In the Na Lac valley, Trinh Tuong commune, an area that has suffered much damage from natural disasters, the ethnic minority people are making efforts to reclaim the terraced fields buried under rocks and soil to plant rice, hoping for a new harvest with favorable weather and a prosperous life.

The Na Lac valley used to be the largest rice granary in Trinh Tuong commune, but after the historic flood in September 2024 and the rainy season of 2025, more than 100 hectares of rice fields belonging to local people were buried under rocks, leaving only a few elevated plots of land.

In late March and early April, when the rice fields are sufficiently watered, the people of the highland villages of Na Lac, San Ho, and Tung Chin around the Na Lac valley rush to the fields to prepare for the new rice planting season. This is also the only rice crop of the year for the people here.

These small rice paddies were not buried under rocks after the historic flood of September 2024, but they were affected by previous heavy rains. Every year, the people have to put in a lot of effort to reclaim the land, clearing away the remaining rocks to prepare it for rice cultivation.

In areas where rocks are more abundant than soil and natural disasters are frequent, the ethnic minority people consider every square meter of rice field to be invaluable. Mong families in Na Lac village help each other cultivate the fields, clear the embankments, and prepare the soil thoroughly so that the rice grows better when planted.

In early April, when the rice seedlings have turned green and are old enough for transplanting, farmers rush to the fields to pull up the seedlings and transplant them in time for the planting season. The task of pulling up the seedlings is mainly done by women.

Previously, people mainly used buffaloes for plowing. Nowadays, many households have proactively purchased or rented machinery to speed up the process and save labor. However, plowing on rocky fields remains a major challenge.

The Hmong and Ha Nhi men not only perform strenuous work like plowing and harrowing, but they can also skillfully plant rice seedlings in straight rows, just like women.

On weekends, when children are off school, they also go to the fields to help their parents with farm work. In the scorching midday sun, a little girl brings water for the women to drink.

The atmosphere in the Na Lac valley is lively and bustling as the new planting season begins. Families help each other with the work to complete plowing and planting as quickly as possible. Although the work is hard, everyone still happily chats to dispel the fatigue.

Beside the white rocky fields, the early-planted rice paddies have turned a vibrant green. Each year, the green of the rice expands, pushing back the white of the rocks and gravel. With unwavering determination, the people of the ethnic groups here are gradually overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, sowing seeds of faith and hope for a successful new harvest.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mua-gieo-hi-vong-o-thung-lung-na-lac-post897862.html