Early in the morning at Tra Que Village it is not difficult to see people riding bikes on country roads next to rice paddies, which are now almost ready for harvest.
An aerial view of vegetable fields in Tra Que. This famous herb village is 2.5 kilometers northeast of Hoi An, and has 200 households that grow greens on a total area of 40 hectares. The beauty of this place regularly attracts tourists from Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage site in Quang Nam.
Tra Que boasts high fertility and mild climate, ideal for farming. The lush green soil provides fresh produce without manure or chemical interference. Instead, farmers retrieve special algae from the nearby lagoon or Co Co River, giving the vegetables a distinctive flavor.
Women harvest water hyacinth flowers.
In summer the flowers’ light purple can be seen everywhere here. They only bloom for a day, but are replaced by new ones within a day.
Lai Nghi lotus pond in Dien Ban Town, 12 kilometers from Hoi An, is another place worth visiting. It is now the lotus season, and the flowers are adding their shades of pink to the green and gold of the ripening rice fields.
Also in Dien Ban is a famous bamboo bridge. From above, the bridge looks like a silk ribbon across the river. This is a favorite destination for photographers seeking to capture great sights in the countryside.
“I used to wander around Hoi An to refresh myself,” Vu says. “All the stress just goes away when I see this reflection of the sunset on the water in Tra Que. So relaxing and amazing!”
