GOLDEN TERRACED FIELDS IN Hong Thai
IF YOU COME HERE IN THE SPRING, THE PLUM TREES AND APRICOT TREES WILL GIVE YOU WHITE FLOWERS. IN SUMMER, THE VAST GREEN FIELDS WILL WELCOME YOU. IN THE COLD WINTER, HONG THAI WILL BECOME A FAIRYLAND, THE CLOUDS WILL DESCEND TO THE ROOFTOPS, THE FIELDS AND THE FORESTS. AND THEN, IF YOU COME HERE WHEN THE AUTUMN BEAUTY SPREADS OVER THE PEACEFUL MOUNTAINOUS AREAS, THE WAVES OF CLOUDS WILL DRIFT OVER THE RIPE TERRACED RICE FIELDS EVERY DEWY MORNING...
“SA PA OF TUYEN QUANG”
It is said that this land was bestowed with a privilege of perfectly idyllic landscapes of a fairytale. The blue Gam River and Coc Vai Pha (which means “heavenly buffalo’s picket line”) are outstanding, while the 99 peaks of Hong Linh mountain range bear the image of a flock of phoenix flying home. Let’s not forget to mention Hong Thai itself as a golden pearl hidden among the green forests every autumn.
The road to Hong Thai is also in the direction to Na Hang hydroelectric dam and Thac Mo - Na Hang tourist area. Although this asphalt road is only over 40km long, you will have to constantly navigate the sharp hairpin turns of the mountain roads. The closer you get to Hong Thai, the more you will have to climb steep, winding slopes. This can be an exciting experience for those who love adventure and living on the edge as you look out into the hills from all sides.
It is no coincidence that Hong Thai is “Sa Pa of Tuyen Quang” with a cool climate all year round and terraced rice fields winding around the hillsides during the rice season. While in Hong Thai I had the opportunity to hear the indigenous people tell the stories of their ancestors and how the Tay people have cultivated these fields for centuries.
One story tells of how local young men defeated a group of bandits. The spoils of the battle included many treasures and a great deal of opium. Unfortunately, soon afterwards, the men and many others became addicted to the drug and the whole village had to sell their homes and their land and move away. At that time, the enterprising Dang and Trieu familes of the Dao people bought all of the land in the area for only 12 tons of cotton, living on and cultivating the land ever since.
Hong Thai lies precariously on a land 1,000 m above sea level. From the highest viewpoint, you can see the whole yellow rice valley lying in the middle of the green jungle. Terraced fields spread out to the edge of the cliff. The steep slopes run straight down to the deep, dangerous and pristine waterfalls and forests.
THE YELLOW TERRACED RICE FIELDS
Farming here is much more difficult than farming and cultivation in the plains. Many people say that in the past, it used to take a whole month to prepare a plot of land. To have enough farm water, people have to draw fresh water from the mountainous brooks. Due to the high dependence on natural water sources, the fields here are mostly monocultivated. Therefore, Hong Thai rice fields are a testament to the persistent labor of people in the journey to conquer nature in order to survive. Along with this land’s natural beauty, people have created a masterpiece of art.
More than 80 ha of Hong Thai terraces spread over the villages of Khau Trang, Hong Ba, Na Mu, Pac Khoang, Khuoi Phe and Na Kiem. The yellow rice carpets are all-natural shapes such as rivers or streams winding to the horizon. The yin-yang wooden roofs of the Dao people lay peacefully in the new, yellow, ripe rice season. In the cool early morning, after a rainy night, floating clouds push each other to the rice fields, like waves on the sea. As the sun begins to shine at the beginning of the day, the village becomes more bustling.
Dao women in their black traditional costumes are busy doing daily farm work. They quickly harvest rice by hand with joy always shining on their faces. They carry rice baskets on their shoulders as if bringing a whole new season back home. All their hard work pays off in the end.
Arriving to Hong Thai in the rice harvest season, you will still be satisfied with the wild and majestic landscapes. In the forest on the mountainside, a waterfall pours straight down, roaring all year round. This majestic waterfall is an impressive highlight among all the immense golden rice fields.
The rice harvest season in Hong Thai also allows visitors to enjoy many interesting things. The most outstanding traditional dish is terraced carp. The
IN THE COOL EARLY MORNING, AFTER A RAINY NIGHT, FLOATING CLOUDS PUSH EACH OTHER TO THE RICE FIELDS, LIKE WAVES ON THE SEA.
locals usually release the fish into the fields in June and catch them in September before they harvest the rice. The carp here is delicious, perfectly fatty and ready to be fried or made into sour sauce.
Do not forget to visit the pear gardens of the Dao people in Khau Trang village. You should also try to experience the harvest of the ancient Shan Tuyet tea on high hills. Do not forget to stay overnight at a local homestay, talk to the locals, eat a traditional feast, pick some pears in the garden, wander around the village and watch people working when the hectic golden season has come.