Pu Luong in the ripe rice season

Pu Luong rice ripening season.

Pu Luong rice ripening season.

We arrived in Thanh Lam, a commune in the core area of Pu Luong , on a day in early June. The morning mist was still lingering on the mountainside, but the sound of motorbikes carrying passengers was already rumbling along the slope connecting Kho Muong with Highway 15C. Mr. Ha Van Thuoc, owner of Puluong Home, was welcoming a new group of guests. His family has 16 bungalows and two stilt houses. This season, every weekend is full of guests.

Mr. Thuoc said: “Children are on summer vacation so it is easier for families to arrange their time. Tourists coming here all enjoy the feeling of walking through the deserted village, eating freshly cooked sticky rice in the stilt house and watching the ripe rice under the afternoon sun.”

Looking out from Puluong Home, the valley looks like a changing picture of the seasons. The rice fields are a mixture of green and yellow, each layer of rice bends in the early morning sun. Below the fields, the laughter of a few tourists echoes. On the slope, kitchen smoke drifts from the stilt houses. By the stone stream, Ms. Émilie, a French tourist, shares: “I have been to Sa Pa , Ninh Binh and Pu Luong. The scenery here is very beautiful, very close, and not too crowded.”

Mr. Tanaka, a Japanese tourist, was about to start trekking to explore the mountains with two friends. “The night was very quiet, we slept well and now we are full of energy. It feels so exciting,” he told us as he prepared drinks for the journey.

Homestay in Pu Luong nestled among terraced fields.

Without bright lights or grandiose structures, Pu Luong captivates people with its peace. A stilt house nestles on a slope. A buffalo rests on the edge of a field. The sound of a rice pounding pestle echoes from the kitchen. Or just a nod from a middle-aged Thai woman carrying wild vegetables through the alley. Here, nature and people are leisurely.

Mr. Ha Nam Khanh, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province, said: “We are focusing on building Pu Luong into a safe, unique, green destination. In 2025, we will promote digital transformation, upgrade infrastructure, innovate tourism products associated with indigenous and rural culture, and train local human resources to improve service quality.”

According to Mr. Khanh, the number of visitors to Pu Luong has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2020, the locality welcomed more than 40,000 visitors. In 2024, the whole district welcomed about 320,000 visitors, including 50,000 international visitors. It is expected that in 2025, the total number of visitors will reach 360,000, of which about 60,000 will be international visitors.

Picnic route in the early morning sun.

Up to now, Ba Thuoc district has 116 accommodation establishments, of which Pu Luong tourist area accounts for 95 establishments, which can receive 4,120 guests/day and night. Communes and towns have 22 establishments, with a capacity of 510 guests/day and night. The whole district has about 920 tourism workers, including 420 regular workers and more than 500 seasonal workers.

In Don village, Ha Thi Sam, owner of Pu Luong Happy Home, is preparing food to cook for guests. She and her husband started doing tourism in Pu Luong in 2020. She said that because they did not have capital, they expanded as they went. So far, they have six bungalows and a stilt house for rent. Sam does not know English and only knows a few greetings. She said: "Just be happy, guests only need a warm smile and a firm handshake."

International tourists are impressed with the scenery and people of Pu Luong.

We met Hoang Van Loi, a tourist from Hanoi, as he sat relaxing on the porch of his stilt house, leisurely sipping tea, his eyes looking out over the valley. This was his third visit to Pu Luong, each time on a different occasion. “The ripe rice season is the most beautiful,” he said, “the horizon is golden, but it’s not as noisy as other famous places. Here I feel like I can live slowly.”

The first time he came with a group of friends, Loi rented a homestay in Hang village, from there he walked through Hieu village, had lunch by the stream, bathed in the waterfall, and returned in the late afternoon light. “That night was bright with moonlight. We sat around the fire telling stories, surrounded by the sound of insects and the wind blowing on the thatched roof. No one touched the phone,” he laughed: “In the city, that is unthinkable.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Co Thach, Chairman of Thanh Lam Commune People's Committee, the number of domestic tourists returning to Pu Luong is increasing day by day. "The commune encourages people to participate in building accommodation facilities, improving service skills while still preserving traditional culture. We also guide people to grow sticky rice to prolong the ripening time to serve tourists."

For many domestic tourists, Pu Luong is gradually becoming a destination away from the crowds of major tourist areas. Pham Thu Huong’s family, from Nam Dinh, chose to spend 4 days and 3 nights in Pu Luong. Her husband, a bridge engineer, likes quiet places.

“The two children ran all over the terraced fields, and in the evening they grilled corn with the villagers,” Ms. Pham Thu Huong said about the two days they had just experienced. “It’s been a long time since the whole family had time to gather together, it felt very peaceful.” Ms. Huong plans to come back here during the flood season.

A corner of homestay with open nature by the window.

In Pu Luong, people take photos and check-in a lot, but what attracts tourists is not just the frame. It is the feeling of leisure, of slowing down, of listening to oneself in the midst of nature.

“I thought it would be sad here at night,” said Hoang Van Loi, a tourist from Hanoi. “But then sitting by the wood stove, drinking corn wine, listening to people chatting, watching children playing on the porch, I suddenly felt like I was back in my hometown, back to a time when there were no telephones, and there was no rush like now.”

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thao, a tourist from Hai Phong, commented: “I have been to many places and found the night in Pu Luong very impressive. There is no sound of vehicles, no bright lights. I can hear the sound of crickets, smell the lingering smell of kitchen smoke and the cold air seeping into the blanket. I feel my heart lighten, as if I have never been troubled.”

Experience the feeling of sitting on a boat in Pu Luong.

What is special about Pu Luong is not only the scenery, but also the rare mountain and forest quality amidst the wave of tourism development that is spreading rapidly across all regions. Pu Luong people learn to be hospitable without sacrificing their identity. They choose to do tourism in their own way, slowly, friendly and maintaining harmony with nature. Not because it cannot be otherwise, but perhaps because they understand that to keep tourists, they must first preserve the soul of this land.

Mr. Le Thanh Van, tour guide, took us through a large rice field, then followed the trail up to Bat Cave. The whole group was silent, admiring the stalactites formed from hundreds of millions of years of history. Layers of time seemed to still linger on each cliff and dome. Mr. Van said: "This cave is also known as Kho Muong cave, home to many species of bats, and is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Pu Luong."

The afternoon slowly descended on the mountainside, the sun fading behind the dense canopy of bamboo trees. In the distance, kitchen smoke drew thin streaks against the dark sky. At a bend, we met an old man leading cows back to the barn. He did not speak Kinh well, only smiled kindly, and said short words: “Many guests, good rice, happy villagers”. His words were as simple as potatoes or cassava, but they captured the lifeblood of this place, simple, steadfast and full of hope.

New homestays are gradually appearing, concrete roads have also crept into remote villages. But Pu Luong still moves slowly, as if nature here is choosing its own path. The tour guide said that last year, a British tourist came to stay for three nights. On the last day, she said: "It's been a long time since I felt so peaceful." He smiled: "As long as I keep that feeling, people will always come back to this place."

The afternoon falls on Pu Luong like a slow song. The sunset spreads over the terraced fields, gilding each patch of rice. Groups of tourists leisurely return after a day of walking along the terraced fields, exploring caves and immersing themselves in the deep green mountains and forests. On the dry fields, some Thai children run barefoot, waving and smiling at us. Amidst the vastness of the hills and the rustling of the wind through the leaves, Pu Luong sows in people's hearts what everyone needs, but is increasingly rare: a sense of peace.

Bui Thai Binh - Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/pu-luong-mua-lua-chin-post886942.html