U.S. magazine Condé Nast Traveler has chosen rice terraces in Yen Bai Province as one of “the most colorful places” on the planet.
The rice paddies in Mu Cang Chai, a rural district in Yen Bai, have become a popular check-in destination for Instagram users thanks to “their impressive angles in a topographically challenging region,” the travel magazine says.
Depending on the time of year, the colors of the rice fields change from emerald green in late spring and summer to golden yellow in October, when the rice ripens.
During the harvest season in October, rice paddies turn golden yellow and one of the most incredible sights in northern Vietnam. Photo by Shutterstock/Hong Dung
The list of most colorful places on the planet includes several famous tourist destinations in Asia, like the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Japan, Chengdu in China, Japan’s Fushimi Inari Taisha inner shrine, the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur in India and Chiang Mai in Thailand.The magazine suggests a visit to the rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai at the beginning of October, when the rice is ready to harvest.
Mu Cang Chai is around seven hours drive to the northwest of Hanoi. It sits at 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range.
The H’Mong ethnic minority group started carving rice terraces into the mountain range centuries ago and continue to plant and harvest the crop today.
In 2017, the famous terraced fields were named one of the 19 most picturesque peaks on earth by the U.S. travel site Insider.
“The views were amazing, the breakfast very good, they even offered a small toothbrush and toothpaste next to your bed in the dorm. The walk from the city is around 5-10 minutes, but that is why the views are better, I personally did not mind the walk but enjoyed the seclusiveness.”