In the early days of the summer-autumn rice crop, Ngoc Chien commune put on the typical beauty of the flood season. Looking down from above, the terraced fields winding around the mountainside are filled with water, the field surface is shimmering reflecting sunlight and clouds, creating a vivid natural picture.
Located at an altitude of about 1,800m above sea level, Ngoc Chien has a cool climate all year round, with an average temperature of about 23 degrees Celsius. Around the end of May, early June of the solar calendar is the time when local people start pouring water into the fields, tilling the land and transplanting rice.
From early morning, people in Muong Chien, Na Tau, Luot, Dong Xuong villages... were present in the fields. Calling each other down to the fields, cheerful laughter in the mountains and forests created a bustling working atmosphere of the new crop season.
At the Muong Chien village field, members of Mrs. Lo Thi Phong's family were present early to go down to the fields to transplant rice. The soil makers, the seedling pickers, the transporters, everyone was quick in the fields with faint water.
While quickly planting rice, Ms. Phong shared: "This crop season, my family planted about 6,000m2, mainly sticky rice varieties. This year, the flood season is favorable, the fields have enough water, so people go to the fields early. This is also the most beautiful time of year, early morning or late afternoon looking at the field surface reflecting the clouds is very beautiful".
Mr. Lo Van Xien - Director of Ngoc Chien Community Tourism Cooperative, said that the flood season is the most beautiful time of the year in the locality.
Early morning or at sunset is the most beautiful time for terraced fields. Sunlight shining down on the water creates very special color patches. Many tourists and photographers come to Ngoc Chien to experience and take photos" - Mr. Xien shared.
Terraced fields in Ngoc Chien are completely handcrafted by the people through many generations. Each field bank is dug and built with hoes and shovels, leading water from streams to the fields. Fields with different large and narrow areas are stacked along the mountainside, both serving production and creating a unique landscape of the highlands.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Cuong (Pip Tran), a photographer in Son La, said that the beauty of the flood season in Ngoc Chien has a very unique rustic touch.
Not too noisy or crowded, Ngoc Chien still retains its original beauty. The flood season here creates a very special inspiration for photographers" - Mr. Cuong said.
Not only is it the production season, the flood season also shows the beauty of community culture of local people. Many families still maintain the form of labor exchange, planting rice together, supporting lonely households to be on time for the crop.
Currently, Ngoc Chien commune cultivates more than 650 hectares of wet rice, of which most are specialty sticky rice varieties. Terraced fields not only bring food and income to people but also become a tourist highlight of the locality.
In recent years, Ngoc Chien has been chosen by many tourists thanks to its pristine natural landscape, unique traditional culture and seasonal beauty of terraced fields. The flood season is opening up more opportunities for the locality to develop community tourism associated with the experience of highland agriculture.
