Agence France-Presse (AFP) has introduced the spectacular beauty of the terraced rice fields of Mu Cang Chai in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai to a global audience in a recent article.
Stunning beauty of Mu Cang Chai (Photo: AFP)
In its story titled “Vietnam's spectacular terraced rice fields wait for tourists”, AFP described the breathtaking terraces which are situated up to 1,000 metres above sea level and mostly belong to the Hmong people, a minority group who make up most of the area's population.
“The paddy fields are particularly beautiful in September and October, when the crops turn a shiny yellow,” reported AFP.
AFP also revealed that before COVID-19, Hmong women typically rent their colourful traditional costumes to visitors, while men earned up to US$30 a day driving them up tiny muddy paths through the hills.
It quoted local farmer Lo Thi Loan as saying that local people in the area welcomed huge numbers of tourists before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
""But this year all the rice fields are empty... due to virus movement restrictions"," Loan told AFP.
The French news agency noted that Vietnam has recently started to open its doors to the outside world, with some international visitors arriving earlier this month on the island resort of Phu Quoc and in other tourist areas in the south.