Ripening rice terraces bring a smile to harvesting farmers

By Ngoc Thanh   August 28, 2020 | 07:38 pm PT
Farmers in northern Lao Cai Province's Bat Xat District are busy with their only rice harvest of the year.
The golden glow of terraced rice fields in Bat Xat District, home of 3,000 hectares of rice fields, which are located at Y Ty, Sang Ma Sao, Den Sang and Ngai Thau Communes. The Pa Valley in the communes of Y Ty and Ngai Thau has been recognized as a national monument in 2015.

The golden glow of terraced rice fields in Bat Xat District’s Y Ty, Sang Ma Sao, Den Sang, and Ngai Thau Communes. The Pa Valley in Y Ty and Ngai Thau was recognized as a national landscape by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2015.

Golden Seng Cu rice plants, a local specialty that takes a shorter period of time to produce and gives soft rice with good aroma.

Seng Cu rice plants, a local specialty that matures in a shorter period with a soft grain and fragrance.

Thao Thi Ho, 21, from Mong ethnic community, helps her brothers family harvest.My brothers family planted 8 kg of rice seed, producing 2 tons of rice plants, she said, adding every year, local people normally grow one season of rice and another of corn.

Thao Thi Ho, 21, an ethnic Mong, helps her brother's family harvest.
"My brother's family planted eight kilograms of rice seeds, producing two tons of rice plants," she said. Locals normally grow one rice and one corn crop every year, she added.

A farmer puts a bottle of water behind her back, helping her get rid of the thirst while working hours under the scorching sun.

A farmer with a bottle of water.

Terraced fields on A Lu Commune. When the harvest season comes, family members and their relatives join hands to finish the job as soon as possible before the rice plans overripen or rain comes.

Terraced fields in A Lu Commune. When the harvest season comes, the extended family gives a helping hand to finish the work as soon as possible before the rice becomes overripe or rains come.

Giang Thi Dua, from Sin Chai Village, holds a bunch of rice plants and brings them to a threshing machine.Here, we have one rice season and have enough rice to eat for a year, Dua said.

Giang Thi Dua of Sin Chai village takes a bunch of rice plants to a threshing machine. "We have one rice season and enough rice to eat for the year," she said.

Threshing machines save local farmers energy and time. They used to thresh rice by hand before.

Threshing machines save farmers energy and time. The work used to be done by hand in the past.

Transporting rice plants and threshing them are done by women.

The threshing is done by women.

Threshed rice will be brought home.

The paddy is ready to be taken home.

After plantation, it takes longer than three months to harvest rice. Today we get 3 tons of rice, more than what we got last year, so we are thrilled, said Tho A Dua (wearing black shirt) in Lao Chai Village of Phin Ho Commune.

Tho A Dua (iblack shirt) of Lao Chai village, Phin Ho Commune, said: "It takes more than three months for the rice to be ready for harvest. Today we got three tons of paddy, more than what we got last year, so we are thrilled."

Ly Xuy Xe (L) and his son from A Lu Commune take bags of rice before to a spot before taking them home.

Ly Xuy Xe (L) and his son of A Lu Commune stack bags of rice for taking home.

As farmers often spend a whole day to work on their paddy fields, they bring their meals and only come home when all rice plants are taken. Putting their motorbike under the sun, they cover them with dried straw to prevent the heat.

As farmers often spend a whole day to work on their paddy fields, they bring their meals and only come home when all rice plants are taken. Putting their motorbike under the sun, they cover them with dried straw to prevent the heat.

Photos by Ngoc Thanh.

 
 
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