When entering the filled water season, Mu Cang Chai Terraced rice fields dressed in colorful new clothes. It looks as unique as the masterpieces and charms no less than the ripe rice time in October.
In May, the highland of Mu Cang Chai is shown with the color of brown soil, the color of the water and the sun, the color of the seeding rice … It created a beautiful picture on the fields in the Khau Phau valley.
This is the time when people start bringing water into the field, the time when the terraced rice fields always bring in a wonderful appearance.
Due to the lack of flat land for cultivation, H’Mong and Thai people in Mu Cang Chai have to break the soil in the middle of the mountain to transplant rice. They took advantage of the first rain showers of the summer and the sun was not heavy enough to drain the fields. They also picked up water from streams through bamboo tubes to plow fields.
Visitors who travel to the Mu Cang Chai in the water season also have the opportunity to observe the hectic work scene of the H’Mong community.
Early in the morning, when the mist was still pending, the H’Mong people from all over the village carried their hoes, led the buffaloes and took the paddies to the rice fields. As the sun shines on the mountainside, the bare feet cheerfully follow the buffalo to the plowed terraced fields.
They are excited about the new plowing season. Someone makes the border and removes weeds while others plow the fertile soil and repair the irrigation system. They work in the air filled with laughter. H’Mong girls dressed in colorful clothes as making up to the special color of Mu Cang Chai Terraced rice field in the flood season.
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I’m Nghia – tour guide of Zonitrip. This is my story about the Trekking trip to Rice Terraces Vietnam – Mu Cang Chai with a nice couple (one American and one Spanish).
We leave Hanoi so early: 4am. We trekked at least 5-6hrs with distance about 20km per day through the many type of road: Muddy rice field, climb to Terraces mountain, walk to deep bamboo forest or through the remote village in Mu Cang Chai – one of remote tourism destination in Northwest Vietnam.
April is in Spring – the best time to travel in Vietnam. So we were very lucky with nice weather, not too hot or cool, we had all sun, wind and cloud…It was so perfect for a trekking Rice Terraces Vietnam trip.
First trekking, we visited a peaceful village of Thai people.
This village located near the mountain, behind the beautiful & green rice fields. The Thai ethnic is one of the main ethnic groups in Vietnam, and have little similar culture with people in Laos, Thailand. A man- who is host of simple house we visited – said that they have some common words like numbers, writing, eating, drinking, so on. The Thai people often live on the “stilt house” – the popular house in mountainous area, made by bamboo or wood. Stilt house helps them to avoid wild animals such as tiger, bear, snake…They often feed animals like: ducks, chickens, buffalos…under the floor of house.
Leave the Thai village, we continue our trip to explore Mu Cang Chai – our target in this trip. Mu Cang Chaimade me satisfied with incredible scenery. Mu Cang Chai is over 300km far from Hanoi, is well-known with dramatic Rice Terraces Vietnam – look like the steps of ladder to the sky. Throughout the area, you can have amazing photo of the Rice Terraces covering from this mountain to other mountain. I was surprised when know all of these fields were form by human power with simple tools.
We climbed up to the mountains- where have amazing rice field and walked through the remote of Hmong people.
Let’s talk about Hmong people in Mu Cang Chai.
We visited a house of Hmong, a very simple land house made by wood. Hmong is also one of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. They just came to Vietnam 300-400 years ago to avoid the war with Chinese. Their villages often locate on the high mountains- where have the hard climate through the year, so their life are still poor and very simple
However, I was surprised again when talk with them. Although their life is still hard, but they can provide anything for them by feeding animals around house, cultivations like rice, corn.
Even they also make their clothes from hemp. The women have to make the fabric, embroider and sewing the clothes for all members in family.
On the hiking road, we met a Hmong man. He was so friendly and cute. He invited us to visit his house and play a Hmong song by their traditional pine.
His neighbors were also warm, they told us to join their farming work on the field. It was so exciting experience.
One of most unforgettable experience in our trip was “Bamboo Collecting”.
We stayed one night at homestay of Thai people. The woman host asked us to join with her to find the bamboo. We though: “ Oh, why not? The bamboo in here is very tasty and yummy”. So that tomorrow, each of us were prepared a special bag ( look me like a Vietnamese). We went to deep bamboo forest. Oh, I didn’t think the small bamboo can easily to find like that.They grow above the soil, near the big bamboo tree, and we just picked-it up by hand. It’s our first time to finding bamboo. The woman said that the bamboo is very cheap, only 1 dollar for 1 kg. After 1,5 hour, we found a full bag. It was so happy when we ate the food we found by our self. It’s really fun & great experience
Although the short time, but we had the great time to travel. I hope other travelers also had the great experience like us when travel with Zonitrip. When you are going to go Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam – don’t miss the Trekking Rice Terraces Vietnam tour of Zonitrip.
Our Mu Cang Chai Trekking Tour 3 or 4 days gives you long time to discover the mountainous beauty, the amazing Rice Terraces, as well as local life of different ethnic groups in rural tribe : Sapa – Mu Cang Chai – where the charming essence of these lands remains unchanged. Exploring these lands by hiking around unparalleled routes, meeting locals and rural villages will be the unforgettable memories in your Vietnam trips.
This itinerary is suitable for Photographers, Trekking Love travellers and all people want to explore the remote area in Vietnam.
This video was made in the filled water season in Mu Cang Chai, the Terraced rice fields dressed in colorful new clothes. It looks as unique as the masterpieces and charms no less than the ripe rice time in October.
