The breathtaking beauty of golden rice fields during the harvest season in Mu Cang Chai is irresistible. The shimmering yellow fields resemble a painted masterpiece, making Mu Cang Chai one of the hottest destinations during the ripe rice season in Yen Bai province.
In October, especially towards the end of September and the beginning of October, as the weather starts to cool and the sun shines brighter, the scent of persimmons lingers in the autumn breeze, and enthusiasts’ discussions turn to the golden season in Northwest Vietnam. This is also the time when Mu Cang Chai enters the ripe rice season and the harvest of buckwheat apples. The terraced fields glisten like a painting, undoubtedly enchanting anyone who has set foot in this land.
It is advisable to allocate at least 2 days for exploring Mu Cang Chai. This duration allows you to fully appreciate the golden season and experience the culture of the local Mong ethnic people. Starting from National Highway 32 to Mu Cang Chai, you will need to traverse Khau Phạ Pass—one of the most beautiful and challenging mountain passes in Vietnam, alongside Pha Din Pass, O Quy Ho Pass, and Ma Pi Leng Pass.
Khau Phạ Pass is an ideal cloud hunting spot with winding roads through pristine forests and terraced fields of the Thai and H’Mong ethnic groups. The experience of smoothly riding on Khau Phạ Pass is truly magnificent, with the majestic beauty of mountains, the serene beauty of Lim Thai and Lim Mong valleys at the foot of the pass, the lingering fragrance of roadside plants, the sound of flowing streams harmonizing with the gentle autumn breeze.
After crossing Khau Phạ Pass, you can visit the terraced fields in the four communes of Che Cu Nha, La Pan Tan, De Xu Phinh, and Lao Chai, with Lao Chai being a relatively new destination for tourists, and the road to Lao Chai is challenging and difficult to navigate. Roaming on a motorbike through the roads of Mu Cang Chai, you can witness vast golden terraced rice fields everywhere, but perhaps the most captivating view is during the late afternoon.
Casting your gaze towards the horizon, observing the last rays of sunlight, Mu Cang Chai becomes more alluring than ever. On the high hills, the terraced fields appear soft like golden belts, vast and undulating with lines, embracing the villages and small houses on the hills. Autumn in Mu Cang Chai is filled with the fragrance of ripe rice, freshly milled rice, hot pots of new rice, and the scent of smoke drifting over the roofs in the late afternoon.
You can quietly sit and admire the clouds and terraced fields in front of you, savoring a pure and simple tea, welcoming the first breeze from Nam Kim stream, playing a gentle piece of music. People often get lost searching for Da Lat, seeking the city of a thousand pines, forgetting that there is a Da Lat like place in the heart of Northwest Vietnam. Mu Cang Chai is where you can feel tranquility, experience simplicity in daily life, breathe in the fresh air deeply, find pine cones by the roadside, gaze at misty scenes, and leisurely drift through a dreamlike Northwest in the green and yellow hues of rice.
In Mù Cang Chải, there are simple yet profound moments that embody the authentic breath of life. Life in the highlands is slow and peaceful, leaving a lasting impression. It’s the simple, honest lives of the locals, diligently working for warmth and sustenance, the innocent smiles and clear eyes of children on muddy faces, the optimism even in hunger and poverty.
Along the winding roads, scattered are a few houses of the H’Mong people. Women sit on porches embroidering and sewing, a few children climb on buckwheat apple trees in front of their houses, occasionally laughing and the vibrant H’Mong dresses displayed like flowers on fences. On the small winding paths, you can easily spot men on motorbikes transporting rice home or the smiling exhaustion of H’Mong women waiting for their husbands by the terraced fields.
The green and yellow shades in Mu Cang Chai remain as simple as ever, still beckoning many with an irresistible charm, still evoking affection, remembrance, and a promise to return with every departing step. Mu Cang Chai is like a Northwest ballad, echoing in the hearts of travelers, leaving them with lingering emotions even after their departure.
