Fields with transcendental waters
At the start of every summer, backpackers and photographers eagerly plan journeys through the terraced rice fields of northern Vietnam during the “water-pouring season”. Throughout Vietnam’s mountainous northern provinces, from west to east, rice fields give mountainsides and hillsides a peculiar beauty. Majestic yet rustic, the terraced fields glisten with transcendental waters.
Provinces known for their terraced rice paddies include Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Son La, and especially Yen Bai, famous for its golden rice fields, which are ready to harvest each autumn. The harvest and water-pouring seasons have brought fame to parts of Yen Bai’s “rice belt”, such as the districts of Van Chan and Mu Cang Chai. During these two seasons, the provincial government hosts many activities to welcome visitors in communes and districts with large rice fields and beautiful terraced fields. They host events that have become hotly-anticipated staples, such as “Flying in the Golden Season” and “Flying in the Water Pouring Season.” Participants can paraglide over the fields to admire the natural scenery and layered terraced fields – the result of humans conquering nature for hundreds of years.
During the last days of May and the beginning of June, the route to Mu Cang Chai throngs with people. Particularly on weekends, tourists from all over the country cross passes and scale mountains to admire the spectacular scenery of the water-pouring season. Slowly driving over Khau Pha Pass, our car windows were rolled down for a dose of fresh mountain air. This majestic mountain pass is known as Khau Pha by the Thai people, meaning “horn of the sky”. The horn of the mountain does indeed rise into the blue sky.
This 30 km-long northwestern pass is a great place to put your driving skills to the test and marvel at the gifts that nature bestows on visitors. We stopped in a safe location to admire hidden mountains, clouds, and water-filled terraced fields. The surrounding primeval forests emphasized the picturesque scenery, as sunlight imprinted the dark brown tones of the soil and water in each field.
Where agriculture is still heavily reliant on nature, as in these highlands, early summer rains provide valuable water to cultivate new crops. Water flows into each field through 1-1.5m-tall banks. Farmers begin planting as soon as the water reaches the banks. This sets a scene with a muted but multi-hued palette. Some fields are full of gleaming water that mirrors the sky, while others are full of young, verdant seedlings that have begun to take root. The hurried atmosphere as Thai and H’Mong people work in the fields during the plowing season adds vibrancy to the scene. Our photographers spent hours capturing the best possible shots, using angle-based telephoto lenses to record scenes of farmers drawing water, visiting their fields, and so on.
