The Northwest region becomes animated because of the yellow color of ripen rice season. The terraced field winding likes silk strip across the mountains in rows, layers, creating a spectacular landscape. Because of the outstanding beauty, these terraced fields have been recognized as national landscapes by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
People know about the terraced rice fields in Vietnam after the rice fields of Muong Hoa Valley – Sapa have been honored as one of the seven most beautiful terraced rice fields in the world. However, besides Muong Hoa, there is also a long list of terraced fields from Mu Cang Chai, Che Cu Nha, Dze Xu Phinh, La Pan Tan, further up to Sang Ma Sao – Bat Xat, Y Ty…Each terraced rice field contains a seductive beauty so that in every autumn, roaming on a Vietnam motorbike tour to Northwest of Vietnam to observe breathtaking “golden steps” is always a journey of unforgettable memories.
Terraced ricce fields in Che Cu Nha
The beauty of the terraced rice fields in the Northwest Highlands, perhaps never lack of attractiveness to tourists. And to meet the glittering beauty is not simple. The best mean of transport is always motorbikes so that you can easily explore the hill tribe villages, ride up to the high slope to see the magical beauty of the golden season in this area. Therefore, the journey to the fields is almost a challenging trip.
The most familiar way to the land of the best terraced fields is from Hanoi, along the Hoang Lien Son Range on Highway 32, the interesting stop on this route will be Tu Le Valley, where there are so many “golden ladders” stretching till the horizon. The Thai people in Suoi Giang, Muong Lo called the golden terraced rice fields in Tu Le is the God gift, because the legend has it that the seed of Tu Le rice was given by a fairy , she asked the Thai people to find the right place to cultivate. And Tu Le is the chosen land because of the rich land and the abundant pure water resource. This strong point makes a great contribution in creating the famous Tu Le sticky rice in all the provinces of the Northwest region.
Tu Le sticky rice in Mu Cang Chai
And the journey to visit terraced rice field every year is always started with the Tu Le sticky rice dish for it is the source of inspiration for the adventure journey ahead with the full feelings of conquest. The first challenge is the dangerous rout with one side is the high peaks and one side is deep abyss to reach the Khau Pha pass – the King of pass in Vietnam with the steep rugged mountain cliff which is deep in fog all year round. Riding through this dangerous pass, a land of paradise of the Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields will be gradually opened in front of your eyes – where the scenery is like a poetic picture of rice, enhance the beauty of the majestic Hoang Lien Son range.
Mu Cang Chai is often chosen as the starting point for highland rice visits, as it is a terraced rice field kingdom that owns more than 2,300 hectares of terraced fields, of which 500 hectares have been recognized as the National Monument of Vietnam since 2007.
Continue the journey along the small roads leading to the villages of the Hmong in Che Cu Nha, Dze Xu Phinh, La Pan Tan, where more than 200 years ago, the first H’mong came to settle, suffered from the severe weather in this highland to work very hard on the mountain slopes to create the terraced fields as you can see nowadays. And these terraced fields when become the National Monument makes the tourists can not wait to visit this land in the harvest season.
Mu Cang Chai – the land of the most beautiful rice terraces
Riding up and up, you will reach the terraced rice fields in Muong Hoa, Sapa, continue riding to Sang Ma Sao, Y Ti…the journey becomes harder and harder but the more challenge the ride is the more beautiful the terraced rice fields you can contemplate in the purest way. Also, riding more deeply into the villages where the daily life is still wild, idyllic, but full of prosperity, well-earned in the harvest, tourists will know clearly about the hard-working of the indigenous to create the wonderful scene of the amazing terraced rice fields on the hill for everyone to enjoy.
In each area of terraced fields, the feeling of standing on a high cliff, overlooking to the far away, where the layers of layers of terraced rice fields stacked on each other, welcoming the wind with the aroma of new rice, is easy to make people drunk in the fairy land on earth. Therefore, every autumn, when the fields of Northwest in the harvest, tourists are eager to pack their luggage to be ready for the Vietnam motorcycle tours to Northwest. The trip is not just simply to visit the terraced rice fields, to explore the beauty of mountains and forests but to visit the rice – like to visit a close friend.
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