Bustling harvest season in Tam Coc

Visiting Tam Coc these days, tourists will have the opportunity to experience the bustling and lively atmosphere of the harvest season on the Ngo Dong River. Under the golden sunshine, everyone's face is full of excitement and joy as they prepare to welcome the "heavenly grains" home.

From 3 a.m., Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhien (Dam Khe Ngoai village, Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district) got up early to prepare her things to go to Tam Coc to harvest rice. After passing Hang Ca cave, as the sky began to brighten, her boat stopped in her family's rice field.

Ms. Nhien's family owns 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of land in the Tam Coc rice fields. Her children have all moved away, so she is the only one tending the fields. After many days of hard work and anxiously worrying about the weather, Ms. Nhien finally received the golden, heavy ears of rice onto her boat. Holding a bundle of rice heavy with golden grains, Ms. Nhien smiled brightly and said, "My sisters and I went harvesting at night to avoid the heat, because it would be too tiring if the sun rose too high. Luckily, this year's rice harvest is bountiful, so everyone is happy. My rice yield is estimated at 1.5 quintals per sao. That's something to celebrate!"

Bustling harvest season in Tam Coc — This year's rice crop is bountiful, resulting in a good yield.

Not far away, the sounds of laughter and chatter filled the rice fields of Mr. Chu Van Khoa (Van Lam village, Ninh Hai commune). Here, each person was in charge of a different task. The women used sharp sickles to quickly cut the rice. Meanwhile, the strong men would bundle it into stacks that were easy to embrace, then pull them onto the boat.

Uncle Khoa said: "Growing rice in Tam Coc is much harder than in other areas. Every step, from plowing and planting to harvesting, has to be done manually; there are no machines at all."

According to Uncle Khoa, because the boat couldn't go deep into the field, people had to use a tarpaulin to pull the bundles of rice from the inside out to the edge of the field. This task required 2-3 strong men. Even after harvesting, the rice couldn't be threshed immediately; they had to row the boat through the valleys and transport it to the village road where threshing machines were waiting.

Harvesting rice in Tam Coc is hard work, but it's also very enjoyable. According to many locals, one person can't possibly do all the work, so families have come up with a way to "exchange labor." That's why there are always a few people working in the fields, chatting and laughing together.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (a tourist from Hanoi ) couldn't hide her excitement at being immersed in the joyful harvest atmosphere of the locals here. She shared: "It's been a long time since I've had the chance to witness a harvest scene like this in my hometown. Suddenly, childhood memories flooded back. The unique thing here is that all the harvesting activities take place on the river, making the scenery both strange and familiar..."

Due to weather conditions, the locals here can only cultivate one crop per year, resulting in inconsistent yields. However, out of love for rice cultivation and a desire to create a beautiful landscape for tourists, everyone tries their best to tend to their family's rice fields.

Particularly in recent years, thanks to the attention and support of local authorities and businesses, people have received assistance with seeds, fertilizers, etc. This has created motivation for people to become more attached to their homeland's fields, contributing to building a unique and artistic image of the fields that captivates tourists.

According to Mr. Dinh Anh Toi, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Hai Commune People's Committee: The Tam Coc rice field covers an area of over 18 hectares. Currently, farmers are beginning to harvest the ripe rice. This year, the weather has been quite favorable, so the rice yield is higher than in previous years, estimated at 1.3-1.8 quintals per sao (approximately 1000 square meters). After the harvest, the local authorities will continue to encourage people to care for the regenerating rice (ratoon rice) to create a beautiful landscape for tourists visiting Tam Coc.

Tam Coc is strangely beautiful these days. Gone are the vast fields of ripening rice; now the landscape resembles a giant piano keyboard with its interplay of light and shadow. A natural beauty that seems almost artificially arranged. Visiting Tam Coc this season is like experiencing the scent of the countryside, a peaceful and emotionally rich rural setting.