Nguyen Dinh Hieu experienced the ripe rice season of Lao Cai from August 14 to 16 and was satisfied with the magnificence of the highland terraces.
The waves of green rice mixed with yellow in Sa Pa were recorded under the lens of Nguyen Dinh Hieu, 27 years old, Hanoi. Hieu is a travel and photography enthusiast. Hieu’s trip to photograph ripe rice took place from August 14 to 16 along the route of Sa Pa town – Muong Hum communes – Sang Ma Sao – Den Sang – Y Ty (Bat Xat district), Lao Cai.
Hieu has been to Lao Cai 4 times, but this is the second time to shoot rice. The weather at the shooting locations in this season varies greatly, in the morning it fluctuates from 16-18 degrees Celsius, but it is hot in the afternoon. “I choose to travel by sleeper because of convenience, make sure to go from Hanoi at 10 pm to 5 am to Sa Pa town, healthy enough to move on to places with terraced fields,” Hieu said. .
In Sa Pa town, Hieu rented a motorbike to go in the direction of National Highway 4D up Silver Falls to Muong Hum commune, Bat Xat district with a distance of more than 40 km, gradually encountering terraced fields winding around the road.
The harvest of ripe rice in Lao Cai is not equal. Typically in Sa Pa, people harvest rice more slowly to wait, attracting tourists to visit; and in some remote areas, rice has already begun to be harvested. It is expected that in Sa Pa around September 2, people will start to reap, Hieu’s observations show that this year the rice ripens earlier than usual.
Choan Then hamlet, Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, was recognized as a tourist destination by Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee in June 2021. This place has unspoiled scenery and the highlight is two Old Duya trees (pictured).
A corner of the peaceful terraced fields of Den Sang. Hieu shared the process of admiring the beautiful scenery of ripe rice, meeting some road sections with potholes, concave and convex road surfaces, worried that if the car hit a rock, was damaged in the middle of the road, he did not know which part to walk to to have a place to fix the car.
Terraced fields on the section from Sang Ma Sao commune to Den Sang via provincial road 158. In the Mong language, Sang Ma Sao means Mao Ga mountain range. This is also the name of the Mong village located at the foot of the mountain.
Peaceful home beside terraced fields in Muong Hum. Hieu was impressed by the terraced fields stretching across the mountains and forests, in front of his eyes are green and yellow colors, interwoven with the rhythm of rice harvesting of the people. Lao Cai has many ethnic groups living together, living around areas with terraced fields, mainly Hmong, Dao and Tay people.
The golden afternoon sun shines on the picturesque Den Sang terraced fields. Hieu is lucky to enjoy the fragrant smell of ripe rice in the wind. After watching rice at Den Sang, Hieu returned to Sapa. He noted that tourists can choose to rent a homestay, stay overnight on Y Ty, if their physical strength is not guaranteed to ride a motorbike back to Sa Pa or intend to capture Choen Then sunset.
The terraced fields “North to the sky” in Y Linh Ho village, Sa Pa. Although the big road to Y Linh Ho is difficult due to the high slope, the feeling of fatigue quickly disappears when the scenery on the side of the road is very beautiful, still unspoiled, you can see the terraced fields from above.
In addition to photographing rice, Hieu also went on to discover the rhythm of people’s lives. “In the village, you will see children often gather to play together and herd buffalo. Some of the roads are open, so there are many small sections, sometimes encountering buffalo herds occupying all the road space. You should pay attention to look ahead to ensure safety,” Hieu added.
Thu Hien, a tourist from Hanoi, on the same trip with Hieu, is enjoying the fresh air in the middle of the ripe rice season in Lao Chai – Ta Van village. These are the two largest villages in Sa Pa, impressing with beautiful and high terraced fields.
“In Lao Chai – Ta Van, there are many homestays, which are loved by foreign guests because of their proximity to nature and people. I feel that there are more foreign tourists than locals,” said Hieu. Rice waves cascade at Lao Chai – Ta Van. Unlike Sapa, which is somewhat bustling and crowded, Lao Chai – Ta Van village has in it the peaceful and wild beauty of the high mountains.
After experiencing the terraced fields, following the open road Hieu moved to Seo My Ty, a high mountain village in Ta Van commune, about 20 km from the center of Sa Pa town. Seo My Ty is the main residence of the Mong ethnic group. The road up to the slope is winding, the view above can cover the whole valley below.
At this time, in addition to the terraced fields, visitors can also combine to enjoy the blooming flowers on the slopes of Seo My Ty hill.
“Coming to the highlands of Lao Cai, it is impossible to ignore specialties such as thang co, nam pia or kitchen guard meat. The journey of discovering and photographing terraced fields in the ripe rice season leaves unforgettable memories, the road often encounters large and small streams, cool hands washing and especially not forgetting the hospitable smiles of the people. indigenous”, shared Hieu.
Hieu advised visitors when going to explore the ripe rice season not to use scooters if the handlebars are not really hard due to dangerous slopes.
Photo: Nguyen Dinh Hieu