The road to the land of clouds and rice
Mu Cang Chai belongs to the old Yen Bai province, now Lao Cai province, long famous for its terraced fields winding on the terrain of mountains and hills over 2,000m high. Of which, 330 hectares of terraced fields in the three communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, and De Xu Phinh have been ranked as a Special National Monument since 2019.
If you look at the map of Vietnam, Mu Cang Chai is truly the heart of the Northwest as it is located right in the center of this area and has no borders with foreign countries. However, transportation to Mu Cang Chai is not easy because this place is always the "flood center" of annual flash floods and flash floods.
Located nearly 300km from the capital Hanoi, Mu Cang Chai is an ideal destination for a " evasion" on weekends every autumn. Passenger buses often depart from My Dinh wharf, follow National Highway 32 through Nghia Lo, Tu Le, cross Khau Pha Pass to Mu Cang Chai town. If traveling independently by motorbike or self-driving car, this traditional route is always chosen by backpackers because the natural scenery on both sides of the road is both majestic and poetic.
Specifically, from My Dinh in the Nhon - Son Tay direction, through Trung Ha bridge (Ba Vi) or Dong Quang bridge, through Thanh Thuy, Thanh Son, Tan Son, Thu Cuc, Ba Khe, Nghia Lo, Tu Le and Khau Pha pass to the center of Mu Cang Chai. Following this route, when coming to Nghia Lo, visitors can admire the vast Muong Lo field, which looks like a carpet of many shades of yellow and green.
Coming to Van Chan, the scene of Tu Le rice valley appears so beautiful that it is enchanting. Tu Le is actually a valley located between three tower mountains, Khau Song, Khau Thai and Khau Pha. Only 3km from Tu Le, visitors can visit Lin Mong and Lin Thai villages and experience making green rice by hand.
In mid-September, standing on Khau Pha Pass - one of the four great mountain passes of Vietnam, the entire rice valley along the Nam Kim River began to change color brilliantly. The terraced fields are stretched like layers of soft waves, gradually receiving a sparkling golden autumn.
Looking for steps to heaven
It is no coincidence that the international press praises Mu Cang Chai as a "super-beautiful destination" or "one of the most beautiful terraced fields in the world", where the beauty of rice fields and the villages of H'Mong and Thai creates a vivid picture of Autumn. To have a complete journey to explore the golden season, visitors should travel for 2 to 4 days, which is the right time to check-in at beautiful rice spots and experience local life and festivals.
The first stop in Mu Cang Chai is certainly the large and small Mat Xoi hill in La Pan Tan, a symbolic image of the golden season of the Northwest. From the town, visitors have to cross the 8km bumpy road quite difficultly to get to Ham Xoi hill. If you are not used to going off-road (drive on difficult routes) like that, there is only a long way to walk or local drivers can take you to the destination.
The larger Lam Xoi hill is more famous and often has more visitors, while the smaller Lam Xoi hill is deserted and the road is also more difficult. In return, the hard time on the road, the scenery of terraced fields surrounded by towering mountains like "steps to heaven" has fascinated many photographers. Currently, both rice hills of Lam Xoi have just been built, and are expected to produce the most brilliant gold in early October.
Only 2km from the town center, Mong Ngua hill in Mo De was at the time of changing seasons. Although the rice is still lush green, last weekend (September 13 and 14), Mong Ngota hill gathered a large number of tourists to check-in. According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Nam, a freelance photographer in Hanoi, not far away are the equally beautiful rice saws in Hang Phu Loa village that have turned yellow.
The best time to check-in at Mat Xoi hill, Mong Ngua is when the early morning sun rises, the mist covers the top of the hills and white clouds cover the top of the mountain. Or in the afternoon, the gentle autumn sunlight like honey pours out mountain shade, ripe rice shines with warm colors. The sunset is slow to release on the rice hammocks, captivating the soul of travelers.
In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, Mu Cang Chai this year will organize a series of cultural and sports events throughout September and October such as: Mu Cang Chai Golden Season Festival; Art Photo Exhibition " Mu Cang Chai Colors"; Parading Festival - flying on Tu Le Golden Season; "Brilliant Golden Culture Night"; Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail Marathon...
