Autumn is the beginning of harvest season in Bat Xat District, about 80 km north Sapa town. This is also the most beautiful season of the year in the northern highlands, with terraced fields tinted gold.
Bat Xat District has over 3,000 hectares of terraced rice fields, with those in communes like Ngai Thau and Y Ty considered the most stunning creations of the ethnic Hmong and Hani farmers.
In Ngai Thau, visitors can experience the vast terraced fields on the precarious mountainsides and distant valleys. On cloudy days, the scenery here turns even more magical.
Across the terraces stand signature Hani homes. This particular house is made of clay, cool in summer and warm in winter.
Harvest season at the foot of Ky Quan San Mountain creates an overwhelmingly marvelous scene. The Ky Quan San mountain range is located on the border of Lai Chau and Lao Cai, with the 3,046-meter high Ky Quan San peak the fourth highest in Vietnam.
This year, rice fields in Lao Cai turn gold early and unevenly. In Muong Hum commune of Bat Xat, the harvest has already commenced.
Another highlight of Bat Xat in harvest season is the highland commune Sang Ma Sao. In the Hmong language, Sang Ma Sao refers to the Mao Ga (chicken comb) mountain range, which is also the name of the Hmong village located at its foot.
Farming has turned this place into a valley of winding terraced fields, surrounded by majestic mountains. The vast valley covered in yellow hues create an endless beauty.
Harvest season flows through the valleys, brightening up a whole corner of the sky. However, this glorious scene does not last long, usually only two to three weeks. Visitors who want to enjoy the wonderful views need to time their trip right. Harvest season comes early and is expected to end in mid-September.
The warm and rich beauty emerges through every grain of rice. This place is more beautiful in the morning when dew drops still hang from the leaves. If lucky, tourists will be able to see the clouds between the terraced fields, which many compare to a paradise.
