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The name "Cao Bang's natural beauty" comes from its unique topography, which differs significantly from other mountainous provinces. It boasts waterfalls, a system of rivers and streams, valleys, and plains interspersed with towering limestone mountains, creating a landscape that is both majestic and serene. In autumn, the fields are bathed in a gentle, warm golden hue, making them particularly radiant during sunrise and sunset.
The golden season in Cao Bang begins in September and lasts until around November.
The golden season in Cao Bang appears in many places with different shades and landscapes. Besides the famous locations, some places possess dreamy scenery and a simple way of life that is rich in local identity, becoming the "hidden gems" of Cao Bang's natural beauty.
Ban Gioc Waterfall and Phong Nam Valley
The first stop on the golden season in Cao Bang is undoubtedly Ban Gioc Waterfall, located in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, about 80 km from the city center. Ban Gioc Waterfall is the pride of Cao Bang's landscape, considered the largest natural waterfall in Southeast Asia, the fourth largest in the world among waterfalls located on national borders, and listed among the 10 most magnificent waterfalls in the world. The waterfall is over 60m high, with its highest point extending about 30m, divided into many consecutive limestone layers and spreading out for hundreds of meters. It is considered a heritage site within the UNESCO Global Geopark area.
Beside the majestic Ban Gioc Waterfall lies a golden rice field nestled amidst towering hills and mountains. Mist rising from the waterfall creates a dreamlike atmosphere in the distance, adding to the ethereal beauty of the scene. Although autumn isn't the time when Ban Gioc Waterfall is at its most beautiful and has the most water, when the rice ripens to a golden hue, this place becomes a magnificent spectacle of Northern Vietnam, a harmonious blend of mountains, forests, and rice paddies, of humanity and nature.
An aerial view of Ban Gioc Waterfall and rice fields.
Located about 25 km from the waterfall, Phong Nam commune is home to the Tay and Nung ethnic communities. The rice paddies, cornfields, and peaceful houses nestled in the valley are embraced by the gentle Quay Son River and the lush green limestone mountains that form a sturdy protective wall. Rice in Phong Nam typically begins to turn yellow in early September and lasts for only about a month.
The best time to take photos is at dawn, when the mist hangs over the mountain slopes, and the first rays of sunlight illuminate the entire valley. In the afternoon, the shadows of the mountains stretch long, and the rice fields shimmer with a deep golden color, evoking a sense of tranquility and serenity. Even when the rice is still green, the scenery here is poetic and romantic, like a painting with gentle brushstrokes.
The Quay Son River embraces the rice fields in Phong Nam.
Hidden villages and terraced rice fields of Xuan Truong
If you appreciate rustic charm and want to experience traditional surroundings, you can visit Dia Tren hamlet (Phuc Sen commune, Quang Hoa district). Surrounded by golden rice paddies interspersed with cornfields nestled in a valley, the hamlet, though small, evokes the peaceful feeling of a mountainous countryside.
This area is home to a small community of the Nung ethnic group, whose economy is primarily based on agricultural production. In addition, since ancient times, the people here have used the bark of the May Sla tree to create handmade paper, a cultural tradition that the Cao Bang Geopark Management Board is committed to preserving and promoting. With its strong ethnic identity and peaceful atmosphere, Dia Tren hamlet is one of the "hidden gems" of Cao Bang's golden harvest season.
The tranquil scenery in Dia Tren village, home to the traditional craft of making handmade paper.
Besides its golden rice valleys, Cao Bang also boasts terraced rice fields – a distinctive feature of mountainous agricultural production. Visiting Xuan Truong commune in Bao Lac district, tourists can experience the mountain pass road connecting villages and hamlets, leading through terraced rice fields stretching from the foot to the middle of the mountain valley.
Xuan Truong is also one of the "hidden gems" of Cao Bang's golden rice season, as it's not widely known. Without a specific location or viewpoint, visitors can leisurely stroll along the pass and admire the terraced rice fields from above, or venture deep into the villages to discover hidden beauty amidst nature.
Terraced rice fields stretch across the mountain slopes in Xuan Truong commune.
Hoai Khao, Lung Muoi and Phia Thap village
Cao Bang also boasts terraced rice fields "hanging" on the mountain slopes in Hoai Khao and Lung Muoi (Nguyen Binh). When the rice ripens, the entire mountainside transforms into a golden wave, the stilt houses of the Dao Tien people are hidden in the blue smoke, children play, and people laugh and chat joyfully in the fields. The scene is both vibrant and poetic, especially beautiful in the afternoon when the sunlight bathes the fields and the entire village in a rich golden hue.
Phia Thap village (Quang Hoa district) is a place that preserves the traditional incense-making craft. During the rice harvest season, the image of bundles of incense drying neatly under the golden sun, along with the vibrant rice fields in the distance, creates a unique cultural scene. This is the perfect place to combine experiencing the golden harvest season with learning about the traditional craft, chatting with artisans, and capturing photos that capture the local essence.
The bluish smoke of evening, the houses nestled beside the golden ripe rice fields in Hoai Khao.
Bac Son - golden hues interspersed among the mountains
Besides Cao Bang, Bac Son Valley (Lang Son) is also one of the most beautiful places to admire ripening rice fields in Northern Vietnam. Bac Son is characterized by its farmers planting at different times, creating fields of many colors: golden ripe rice, green rice seedlings, and brown soil interwoven like a giant carpet. The ideal time to visit Bac Son is from the end of September to mid-October, when most of the rice fields have turned golden.
To fully appreciate the valley, climbing Na Lay mountain is the best option. From the summit, the entire valley unfolds, with sprawling fields, a winding river, and villages nestled at the foot of the mountain. Sunrise is the most precious moment: the morning mist gradually dissipates, and the first rays of sunlight pour down, creating a vibrant and unforgettable scene.
The rice harvest season in Cao Bang lasts until around November. After the rice turns golden, the people begin harvesting. This is also a special time when the entire valley is filled with the scent of fresh straw, smoke from burning fields drifts gently, and the afternoon sun bathes the landscape in a warm orange-yellow hue. It's not just a season of beautiful scenery, but also a season of sounds and smells: the sound of sickles harvesting, laughter and conversation, the smell of drying straw – all blending into a symphony of autumn in the mountainous region.
The journey to discover the golden season offers the chance to experience the most poetic moments of the year in Cao Bang's landscape.
A trip to Cao Bang during the golden season is therefore not only a journey to hunt for scenery but also an opportunity to connect with the local people's way of life, to feel the peace and authenticity, and to capture brilliant moments before the golden color is replaced by the brown earth of the newly harvested rice fields.
