| 2007, 500 hectares of terraced fields in three communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh (Mu Cang Chai) have been ranked as national scenic relics by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. September 14 to September 20, 2012In Yen Bai, there will be a Culture, Sports and Tourism Week with a new rice celebration, a photo exhibition of terraced fields; a highland market - cuisine, panpipe dancing, love songs... of the Mong people. Specialty:Suoi Giang tea, sticky rice and Tu Le hill chicken, mountain frogs in Mu Cang Chai, sour bamboo shoots, boiled pork, grilled pork in dong leaves, dried buffalo meat, apple wine. |
Article and photos:Lam Linh
In September, the weather is not too cold but enough for you to wear scarves, warm clothes, gloves when you want to take a trip to admire the masterpieces of nature and people in the Northwest highlands at the most charming time of the year. At this time, the weather is mild, the air is pleasant and cool, the conditions are great for a long trip.
Far away Mu Cang Chai - Yen Bai
The only way to Mu is National Highway 32. From Hanoi, cross Khe Pass to Yen Bai and from there, follow this road through Nghia Lo straight to Mu Cang Chai. Right from Van Chan, both sides of the road are filled with beautiful rice fields. When arriving at Tu Le, the rice fields of the Thai villages are already fragrant. If you come in the right harvest season, you can eat bowls of new rice. If you arrive a little earlier, try the fragrant green rice dish made from famous Tu Le sticky rice. In the late afternoon, when the Thai ethnic girls and boys return home after a busy day of working in the fields, the hot spring in the middle of the fields is the most crowded. Thai people bathe in the stream, naturally in the beautiful nature.
From Tu Le to Mu Cang Chai, you have to cross the 20km Khau Pa pass. The pass is not so dangerous today, but you should be careful. Halfway up the pass, the scenery of the rice fields turning color in the beautiful valley is one of the scenes that everyone wants to admire. You will find a beautiful place to stop halfway up the pass, relax with the valley filled with green and yellow colors, with a cup of hot steaming coffee.
On the way through La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha, two communes with the most beautiful rice fields in Mu Cang Chai, boys and girls herding buffaloes close to the national highway, playing by the fences. These five hundred hectares of rice fields are relics and heritages of the Mong people recognized by the state. The ethnic minorities in the Yen Bai highlands farm on the high mountain slopes. The Thai people set up villages in the lowlands, growing sticky rice in the Tu Le valley. The Mong people are good at climbing mountains and have turned the dangerous mountain slopes into beautiful terraced fields. The talented and diligent hands of the Dao, Mong, Ha Nhi, Giay, Tay, Xa Pho, Nung, Pa Di... generation after generation have been and are creating masterpieces.
| September and October are the best times of the year to visit the famous terraced fields of the Northwest. This is also the time when European tourists and young people who love to explore and travel are eager to rent motorbikes to admire the Northwest. Foreign visitors can rent Minsk motorbikes and dirt bikes with guides at motorbike rental shops in Hanoi's Old Quarter. |
Floating in the sea of clouds in Y Ty – Lao Cai
The road to Y Ty is divided into three. One road starts from the foot of O Quy Ho Pass, sloping upwards. One road goes from Bat Xat - Ban Vuoc through Muong Hum and the third road is from A Mu Sung, a point close to Lung Po - where the Red River flows into.
The road through the village crosses high mountains, deep forests, and runs close to the steep cliffs without barriers. Forest after forest. There are a few small villages scattered on the bumpy roads.
The fluffy white clouds under the clear blue sky cover the entire valley. The sunlight reflects the sparkling seven-color rainbow. Y Ty land lies deep in the mountains, surrounded by high mountains, covered with clouds all year round. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, leaning against the Nhiu Co San mountain range with a peak of 2,660 meters, it is rare to see the sunlight shining all day long. Therefore, many people call Y Ty by the name "foggy land".
The early morning market was crowded with people. There were all the Dao, Ha Nhi, Mong, Giay ethnic groups in their colorful costumes. Some brought their children, some rode horses, some walked, and some went with their wives to the market in the middle of the Northwest mountains and forests. It felt like people were riding clouds to the market when the sunlight made the beauty of the valley of clouds even more magical. The products were simple with a few eggs, a few dresses, homemade wine... Women were dressed up in colorful dresses and colorful scarves, making the whole market look like a mobile flower garden. The market ended, the people thinned out, but the ethnic girls still lingered, resting on the rocks on the mountainside, talking together, basking in the sun, watching the clouds and sky, and embroidering.
Passing Den Sang, the beautiful terraced fields have reached the golden ripening stage. On the fields, red and pink skirts are undulating, bent over harvesting. From Muong Hum to Y Ty, everywhere is covered with golden rice, clouds and sunshine like sweet honey spread on every road.
Hoang Su Phi – Endless golden season
| The road to Y Ty is quite bad with many slippery sections, so when you go, you should prepare gloves and knee pads to avoid the cold and to ensure your hands and knees are not scratched in case of danger. The temperature in the mountains varies between day and night, so bring enough scarves, woolen hats, gloves, warm coats, sleeping bags, and thin blankets. Y Ty has only one motel owned by Ms. Hau Thu My, with very few rooms. Avoid going out at night when entering this area. Report to the village chief when arriving at the place and bring all personal documents. From Y Ty, you can go down to Lao Chai 1 and Lao Chai 2 communes, where there are the most beautiful rammed earth houses in Lao Cai, and you can go into Hong Ngai, the deepest commune in this land. |
Hoang Su Phi land lies at the foot of the majestic Tay Con Linh peak, attracting a large number of young people every autumn. Compared to the road to Mu Cang Chai, coming to Hoang Su Phi, you will have to endure more hardships and difficulties due to the long distance.
From Y Ty - Lao Cai, to reach Hoang Su Phi, we had to pass a "difficult" road, down to Lao Cai, to Bac Ha, from here we passed 40km of road to Xin Man, one of the most bumpy and arduous roads to reach Hoang Su Phi. The beautiful weather, no rain was a great luck for the drivers. Hoang Su Phi welcomed "tireless footsteps" with beautiful golden rice fields from the foot to the top of the mountain.
Coming to Hoang Su Phi, you will be able to enjoy the majestic natural scenery, relax comfortably in the fresh air with the mountains and forests and the sound of the streams. Hoang Su Phi has 4 cultural and tourist villages: Nam Hong, Giang Thuong, Phin Ho and Lang Giang.
Hoang Su Phi is an attractive destination for community tours, especially to the Pan Hour eco-tourism area by Thong Nguyen stream. Amidst a very peaceful and romantic setting, the youthful innocence of the Dao girls will give visitors a good first impression. Not only that, coming here, visitors have the opportunity to learn about the cultural life of the Dao people - accounting for 80% of the population here.
| Rice season in Hoang Su Phi is planted once a year. May is the watering season, September is the harvest season, both times are beautiful, attracting many photographers to come and take photos. From Hanoi, follow Highway 2 north for about 320 km, to Viet Quang, there is a turnoff to Hoang Su Phi; turn onto the only road leading to this mountainous border district. The winding road follows the mountains and has very few vehicles. From here, you can conquer Tay Con Linh 1 and Tay Con Linh 2 peaks, famous places that are loved by young people. Rice plants in Hoang Su Phi have longer stems than in Mu Cang Chai; the fields are also higher. Terraced fields are found in most communes and towns in the district, but are mostly concentrated in Ban Luoc, Ban Phung, Thong Nguyen, Ho Thau, Nam Ty, and San Sa Ho with a total area of nearly 765 hectares. |
More information:
Prepare for a "backpacking" trip
The weather is mountainous and changing seasons so remember to bring a thick coat and warm scarf.
When riding a motorbike, pay attention to the speed and traffic. Do not go too fast and avoid following too closely. Do not ride late at night, avoid fog. Remember to carry all valid documents. Should have a repair kit with replacement tubes and tires.
Medical supplies you should bring: headache medicine, cold medicine, diarrhea medicine, allergy medicine, antibiotics, flatulence medicine, effervescent vitamin C, vitamin B3, bandages, antiseptic, essential oils, massage oil, salonpas… For large groups, you should buy in larger quantities and divide them among 2-3 people.
Group members must have a firm grasp of the running schedule and geographical map in hand, know clearly the places you will visit and the names and phone numbers of all the people in the group going with you.
Prepare necessary personal items such as clothes, warm coats, gloves, helmets, pillow covers, raincoats, rain boots, personal belongings, personal medical supplies (in addition to the prepared items), sleeping bags, etc.
When packing your backpack, put it in plastic bags before packing to avoid getting wet or in the rain.
Other items: rope, straps and some small items such as knives, scissors...
How to tie things on the car: neat, convenient and not tangled when traveling on the road.
A group of motorbike riders should only stop at a group of less than 5 vehicles with 10 people, making it easy to communicate and chat, easy to control while on the road, and easy to contact for accommodation when arriving at distant locations.
Some motorbike rental addresses in Hanoi:
- Hoang Motor: 27 Lane 62 Tran Quy Cap, Van Mieu, Dong Da - Tel: (04) 66 50 50 19 - HP: 092 829 0000 / 0922 586 122 / 0904 23 23 41
- Nguyen Thanh Tung: 1017 Hong Ha, Hoan Kiem - HP: 0913 532 229
- Mr. Trung: 51 Doi Can - HP: 091.241.0562
- Vietnam Heart Travel: 119 Au Co, Tay Ho – HP: 091 33 44 069 (Mr. Thiep)
- Along with car rental addresses in the old streets of Dinh Liet, Ta Hien, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hang Buom...
