Fragments of glass under the Northwest sky

Every summer, people in the villages of Northwest Vietnam come together to build dams, reinforce embankments, clear weeds, and channel water. The water from the rice paddies flows from one terrace to another, reflecting the colors of the sky and creating a unique wonder of Northwest Vietnam.

Perhaps no artist can blend colors as vividly, naturally, and vibrantly as these farmers in Northwest Vietnam. Their small stature and slender hands contribute to creating the multicolored hues of the rainy season, a magnificent masterpiece amidst the vast Vietnamese landscape.

Unlike the flat, expansive fields of the alluvial plains, the rice paddies in the highlands of Northwest Vietnam are layered one after another like staircases reaching towards the blue sky. These terraces shimmer like mirrors under the sky, some areas a golden-red hue from the heavy alluvial soil, others tinged with the green of freshly sown rice seedlings, and still others reflecting the deep blue of the sky.

The rainy season in Northwest Vietnam, also known as the irrigation season, is one of the unique tourism products of the northern mountainous region, attracting domestic and international tourists. Because of the distinctive characteristics of terraced rice fields – steep hills, winding terrain, and reliance primarily on rainwater – the task of channeling water to the fields in Northwest Vietnam is an art form requiring skillful, talented, and diligent hands.

In the highlands, only one crop is grown per year, and when the first summer rains fall, the ethnic people begin to irrigate their fields. In Northwest Vietnam, plowing usually takes place around May or June. After plowing, they flood the land with water, which flows down from mountain streams through bamboo pipes, covering the terraced fields. Although the work of clearing land and irrigating the terraced fields here is arduous, it marks the beginning of a bountiful harvest.

When enough water has been introduced, the Hmong and Giay people continue sowing their seeds. A few days later, as the rice paddies stretch as far as the eye can see, they begin to release the water to allow the rice seedlings to sprout. And when those young sprouts emerge from the water, the people bring the water back to the fields to let the seedlings grow a little more, preparing for the transplanting season in July.

Unlike the vibrant, flamboyant autumn with its golden sunlight and ripening rice stalks, the terraced rice fields during the rainy season take on a warm, subdued hue, a wild and rustic beauty, just like the Northwest region itself.

Countless breathtaking landscapes stretch across the slopes of Northwest Vietnam during the rainy season. Vast rice paddies are interspersed with patches of vibrant young rice seedlings. Day and night, the sun and moon alternate, like silver plating on the water, making the Northwest rice paddies even more beautiful with their interplay of light and shadow.

The most beautiful destinations in Northwest Vietnam to admire terraced rice fields during the rainy season.

Bat Xat: During the rice planting season, the landscape of Bat Xat is filled with countless rice paddies shimmering with water in the communes of Ngai Thau, Den Sang, Y Ty, A Lu, and Khu Chu Lin.

Sapa: Always a top choice for foreign tourists visiting Northwest Vietnam due to its convenience and accessibility. The most beautiful terraced rice fields during the rainy season can be found in the villages of Ta Van, Ta Phin, Hau Thao, Trung Chai, and Lao Chai.

Hoang Su Phi: A highland border district of Ha Giang province, the beauty of its terraced rice fields has been recognized by the state as one of the national monuments in Northwest Vietnam.

Mu Cang Chai: La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha are two communes with the most beautiful rice fields in Mu Cang Chai. No one can pass through without stopping to admire these masterpieces of the H'Mong people, brilliantly sparkling under the Northwest sky.

Tu Le: A valley of terraced rice fields nestled between three high mountains, Khau Pha, Khau Than, and Khau Song, in Northwest Vietnam.

My Tong