Why has the An Nhứt rice field, with its golden ripe rice, suddenly become a sensation?

The road winding through the An Nhứt rice fields in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu - Photo: NGUYỆT PHẠM

An Nhứt commune, located in Long Điền district, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu province, has never before been mentioned on Vietnam's tourism map. But now, locals are excited by the image of peaceful golden rice fields alongside a road that is sometimes straight and sometimes winding, creating a truly impressive scene.

I went on a weekday, not a weekend, because I wanted to avoid the heavy traffic. According to the directions of young people who had been there, An Nhut is about a 4-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, but in reality, it only took about 2 and a half hours.

At 12 noon, after arranging our work, we departed from Ho Chi Minh City on the Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, and at the Long Thanh interchange, we turned right onto National Highway 51 towards Vung Tau.

The rice fields would be very sunny at midday, and there were very few shops, so we decided to head straight to the Phuoc Hai embankment, 12km away, for a late lunch.

The An Nhứt bridge branches off onto a very popular road that runs through the fields - Photo: NGUYET PHAM

Phuoc Hai Embankment - a paradise of affordable seafood

In recent years, tourists from neighboring provinces and districts have tended to flock to Phuoc Hai embankment to enjoy seafood. The seafood is quite delicious and reasonably priced, so many posts and video clips about culinary experiences in this area have appeared on social media platforms.

The section of Tran Hung Dao Street – also known as Phuoc Hai embankment – ​​runs along Phuoc Hai beach, lined with numerous restaurants and eateries. According to recommendations from previous visitors, restaurants like Kim Tien, Be Chi, and Chi Oanh... all offer delicious seafood.

However, we arrived late at lunchtime, so only Quy Map restaurant was open, and it was very crowded. Phuoc Hai is famous for its oysters, snails, shrimp, and various kinds of squid. The steamed oysters are very plump and sweet, costing only 35,000 VND per kilogram. Besides oysters grilled with cheese and oysters grilled with scallion oil, they are also delicious, but perhaps the simple steamed oysters are the best.

The embankment is located right next to Phuoc Hai fishing village. On the beach, basket boats are moored close together, and the fishermen are mending and arranging their nets, chatting and laughing happily while working. The beach is also spacious and clean, perfect for strolling, taking photos, and checking in.

However, we didn't forget our purpose for coming here—to admire the ripening rice fields—so after satisfying our seafood cravings, we set off to find the An Nhứt rice fields.

Sunset over An Nhứt field

Tourists try threshing rice - Photo: NGUYET PHAM

The An Nhứt rice fields are only about 12km from the Phước Hải embankment. The road is quiet and beautiful, mostly lined with trees on both sides. Houses are quite sparse here. Traveling along the D.55 road, you'll see a vast rice field. From here, you can stop anywhere to admire the scenery. Occasionally, on the small dirt roads, you'll come across farmers harvesting early rice.

The air was thick with the aroma of ripening rice, the scent of straw mingling with the smell of drying mud. The locals were delighted to see strangers, eagerly asking for information and readily inviting visitors to try threshing rice, or even lending them props for photos.

Taking photos with 'props' in the rice field - Photo: NGUYET PHAM

Go along D.55 road to An Nhứt bridge and then turn off. This is the road that's been "going viral" on social media for the past week. This is the best place to watch the sunset and take photos, because the road is small and not much higher than the rice fields. There are only ditches on either side and no houses, so the view isn't obstructed.

The black asphalt road, particularly striking amidst the golden ripe rice fields, is winding and meandering, making it a great spot for taking photos. There's also a moderately tall tree here, nicknamed the "lonely tree" by netizens. Countless "muses" have posed under its canopy, and countless beautiful pictures have been taken.

Many tourists from Vung Tau, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City also visit here. They are mostly young people, sometimes even three-generation families coming together to enjoy the breeze in the rice fields. The rice paddies are cool and pleasant in the afternoon, and the road is quite long, so even though there are a few people coming to see the rice and watch the sunset, it doesn't cause any noise or inconvenience to each other.

An Nhứt rice field in Ba Ria - Vung Tau - Photo: NGUYET PHAM

An Nhứt rural market

An Nhứt rural market - Photo: NGUYET PHAM

An Nhứt rural market in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu - Photo: NGUYỆT PHẠM

From the sunset viewing spot, follow road D.55 for about 1km to reach An Nhứt rural market. When we arrived, we thought the rural market only met on weekends, and if it was open during the week, there would probably only be a few stalls. With that mindset, we were surprised to find it very crowded with customers and numerous stalls.

According to the vendors, the local market has existed for about six months in a different location, but the authorities noticed that the crowds were causing traffic congestion, so they relocated it here. The market is about 1km long, has two large and well-organized parking areas for motorbikes and cars, and a very helpful security team.

The market offers a wide variety of food, from savory to sweet dishes, from traditional to modern fast food. The quality is also decent. People come here simply to enjoy the atmosphere, without high expectations, so everyone is happy and relaxed.

With the cool breeze from the fields and the spacious surroundings, sitting in the middle of a rural market, eating a small snack and chatting about random things, suddenly feels quite relaxing.

The lonely tree in An Nhứt - Photo: NGUYỆT PHẠM

Many people think An Nhứt is just a plain field with nothing special to offer, so why is it causing such a "craze"? It's not just a matter of tourists following trends. We ourselves found the half-day experience very enjoyable, a refreshing change of scenery without requiring much time, money, or effort to plan, making the trip well worth it.

The An Nhứt rice fields are not only beautiful during the golden rice harvest season. I think after the rice harvest, we could come and fly kites, and when the next planting season comes, the lush green color still offers a fresh and vibrant beauty.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-canh-dong-an-nhut-mua-lua-chin-vang-bong-nhien-gay-sot-2024033019494011.htm