It must be said that Tam Coc is beautiful in every season. Mountains, rivers, rows of pink water lilies, white water maidens among the green round leaves along the Ngo Dong River, harmonious people with historical stories, traditions of fighting to defend the country... are the attractions for tourists when coming here.

Golden rice fields in Tam Coc.

Welcoming us at Van Lam wharf was a real old farmer, with a long beard, some silver hair, and bright eyes and mouth. The boat followed the river, passing through Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and then the cool Hang Ba. The old man leisurely rowed the boat, the water was calm, and the people seemed to blend into the vast sky and clouds. In the old man's story, the famous landscapes of Tam Coc appeared one after another, along the river. This place was not only the base of the Tran Dynasty's army and people in the resistance war against the Mongol-Nguyen army, but also a shelter for our army and people in the resistance war against the French. Following the rhythm of the rowing, the ripe rice fields seemed to spread gold on both sides of the river. Weaving through the limestone mountains, the boat was like a leaf floating along the river, a sparkling green color between two strips of brilliant yellow rice. We immersed ourselves in the characteristic aroma of ripe rice, immersing ourselves in nature to enjoy the fresh, cool air.

The old man's house also has a rice field near Ba Cave. He said that the custom of growing wet rice in Tam Coc has existed for a long time. In the past, people traditionally grew rice mainly to serve their family's life. Now, rice is not only grown for harvest but also for tourism. The rice ripening season is around the end of May. Before that, the rice has to bear ears, flower, and gradually become fuller over time, all of which require the care of the people who row the boat and tend the rice here. The rice variety grown in Tam Coc is Thai Xuyen 111, chosen because it has a tall stem, good lodging resistance, strong tillering, and good resistance to pests and diseases. To have a golden rice field stretching along the Ngo Dong River, agricultural extension officers and farmers must also calculate very cleverly. This year, using rice plants, people have created the folk painting "Ly ngu vong nguyet" (Carp watching the moon) on a field of nearly 10,000 square meters with the wish for national peace and prosperity, bountiful crops, expressing the aspirations, efforts and strong will to overcome all difficulties to achieve success of the people here.

The boat was approaching Hang Hai, journalist Bui Tuyet Van, a person who is willing to roll around and has a lot of experience in photography, suggested: "Boatman, please let us pull over to the mountain ahead". I was curious and didn't understand what was going on, she smiled mysteriously and said: "Just go and you will know". It turned out that the place she took us was the road to the top of Chia Voi mountain. Finding a rock to stand on firmly, we looked out to see the view of Tam Coc from above. Tam Coc in the golden season is breathtakingly beautiful. The vast sky, the vast river area, and a brilliant golden strip were captured in sight. Journalist Bui Tuyet Van reminded us of the experience of photographers: "The time to get the most beautiful moments of Tam Coc this season is from 9am to 11am. If you come too early, the sky is not bright enough, there are few boats, and it is not beautiful. If you come late, the sun will be too high, the photos will not be beautiful...". Without anyone telling us, our group took turns raising their cameras to take pictures. Everyone wanted to bring back the most beautiful images of Ninh Binh in the ripe rice season. Until the sun rose high, we regretfully promised each other that we would definitely come back next year.

Back on the boat, the boatman still stood guard under the shade of a tree. When we told him about the photos of Tam Coc on the top of Chia Voi, he smiled proudly: “Not only when the rice is ripe, around June, the scene of farmers harvesting rice and transporting rice by boat, bustling and bustling, is also enjoyed by many tourists and photographers. They thank me and the farmers of Tam Coc for giving them a peaceful and rustic vacation.”

Article and photos: PHUONG NAM