The Heart-Stopping Beauty of The Mu Cang Chai District in Vietnam

Location: Concentrating mostly in 3 communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh, Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai Province.
Characteristics: Mu Cang Chai terraced fields spread out more than 2,300ha at a height of 1,000m above the sea level in Hoang Lien Son Mountain Foot.

Mu Cang Chai is a western district of Yen Bai Province, about 350km to the north-west of Ha Noi. The district is bounded to the north by Van Ban District (Lao Cai Province), to the south by Muong La District (Son La Province), to the west by Than Uyen District (Lai Chau Province) and to the east by Van Chan District (Yen Bai Province).

After taking a trip from Ha Noi to Yen Bai City, visitors will have going 40km on National Highway No.37 before turning on the right to catch National Highway No.32 running through Nghia Lo Township to Tu Le. From Tu Le, visitors will have to pass Nam Khat Pass, which is 2,000m above the sea level, continuing to go on the western slope of Hoang Lien Son Mountain range and along Nam Kim Stream before reaching Mu Cang Chai. Another option for visitors is they can take a trip on National Highway No.32 from Ha Noi, via Son Tay and Tu Le to end in Mu Cang Chai.

Due to the steep feature, fertile soil and mountain cliffs often stock water, the local people, mainly Mong ethnic minorities, can grow rice and establish terraced fields, one after another, from the foot to nearly top of mountains. Generations to generations of these people have made terraced fields as today.

When being seen from afar, the terraced rice fields look like a picture of nature whose colour changes seasonally, exhibiting its most alluring charm when the new crop begins, green rice grows and the field is lush with ripening rice.

As usual in April and May, when local people water their fields at full to prepare for a new crop, the surface of terraced fields shines like a mirror reflecting the contrast of the reddish brown of soil, the deep blue of the sky and the green of surrounding forests. Embankments surrounding these terraces look like threads softly lined by the painter.

In June and July, the terraced rice fields with fully-grown paddy rice and forest trees spread the green out to the entire area, from the foot to top of mountains, before disappearing in mist. The green of paddy rice grown on the terraced field makes visitors think of it as a hand-made creation of uniqueness which cannot be found anywhere else.

Coming to Mu Cang Chai in September and October, when autumn ends, visitors can feel prosperity all over the area as rice in all terraced fields is ripe, giving the gold colour. During the time, the terraced rice fields look like golden silk scarves flying over in the wind above green mountain slopes, making the mountainous landscape astonishingly beautiful.
    
Terraced rice fields in Mu Cang Chai coupled with distinctive cultural practices of local ethnic minority groups have created the uniqueness of the locality. This explains why many tourists, both domestic and foreign, are increasingly flocking to Mu Cang Chai to admire these “terraced rice field masterpieces”.

On 18 October 2007, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized 500ha - terraced fields in 3 communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh (Mu Cang Chai) as a national landscape.

The Heart-Stopping Beauty
The magnificent scenery and breathtaking beauty of the Mu Cang Chai District in Vietnam may very well and truly be the most heart-stoppingly exquisite beauty our incredible world has to offer. The Mu Cang Chai District, located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and some 1000 meters above sea level, is perhaps more unique than any other destination in the world because of its terraced rice field treasures.  That, along with its beautiful, humble, and authentic culture, make it a destination that will forever live in the heart of the traveler.

Mu Cang Chai is mainly composed of terraced rice fields that travel down the mountainside.  The natives created this ingenious way to grow and harvest rice, and thus create a way of life for themselves and families, when normally rice is grown more easily on plateaus.  The natives found that by growing their rice in these terraced ways, it prevented water from trickling down the mountain, which would have resulted in their rice crops not receiving enough water.  The result is astonishing.

These awe-inspiring terraced fields have drawn tourists and photographers alike to witness its sublime beauty in person.  No matter what time of year one chooses to travel, there is always enchanting scenery to witness as the rice is first planted, and as it thrives, but it is most recommended to visit the Mu Cang Chai District during the time of harvesting the rice, which is in September and October of every year, just as Autumn is ending.  At that time, you can see rows and rows of staggering gold all around, as if a beautiful silk scarf has been draped on the mountain, exquisite and majestic against the bright cerulean sky.  It is sometimes hard to believe that there truly is so much beauty in this world.

When seeing the terraced rice fields from afar, it is a picture-perfect view of resplendent beauty, with sharp and lovely colors that shift and change as the seasons change.

Not only is the environment and scenery likely to leave you stunned and breathless, but the people that populate Vietnam’s Mu Cang Chai District, who are mostly comprised people of the H’Mong and Thai ethnicities, are a kind, humble, gracious, and hard-working people who only add to the unique beauty of the Mu Cang Chai District.  Their humble way of life is so startlingly different than most in our world, and it is endearing and lovely to visit such a beautiful, majestic landscape with just as beautiful and kind people.

Making Vietnam’s astonishing Mu Cang Chai District your next vacation destination will not disappoint, as it is something that one has likely never seen before, or ever will again, as it is one of the most uniquely magnificent places in our lovely world, and it’s thrilling and heart-stirring beauty will remain with one for a long time, reminding us that there is always beauty in the world, if we only choose to seek it out and find it.