During the long-lasting development of the country, rice plays a crucial role in Vietnamese traditional culture and Vietnam’s economy. Rice is the most popular grain that can make a variety of delicious dishes such as Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle), Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Rolled Steamed Cake), or Com Tam (Vietnamese broken rice with pork),… Rice is also an important sector in economic development for many kinds of activities including manufacturing diverse rice products (noodles, wine, cosmetics,…), exporting to the international markets, and especially entertaining activities in the tourism industry.
With enriched natural resources and unique cultural values, Vietnam has many options for visitors traveling to the S-shaped country during the summer holiday. If you go to the Central or the South, you can swim on clean blue beaches or participate in sports activities by the sea. Moreover, coming to Southern Vietnam, you will have a great opportunity to experience the best rice harvest season at that time. This post will give you a lot of helpful information and recommendations for the perfect trip to see the golden paddy fields. Let’s check them out!
Rice cultivation in Vietnam
Back at the beginning of the ancient societies in Vietnam, rice has been the main ingredient that can not be missed in almost every family meal. Some historical documents and artifacts found in Vietnam and its neighbors have proved that this cultivation existed and flourished starting from the 7th century BC. Until now, it is a strategic plant in the agriculture system of Vietnam which can bring more billion dollars with exportation.
Thanks to the advantage of the tropical climate, rice cultivation in Vietnam has a great potential to develop. Apart from ¾ of the country’s land being mountainous, the rest is endless coastlines and two fertile flat deltas of Mekong River Delta in the South and Red River Delta in the North. As a result, Vietnam becomes one of the biggest exporters of rice in the world. Living at the delta, local people’s lives have depended on nature and then created customs, habits, rituals and beliefs such as worshiping ancestors or the Nature Gods.
Furthermore, rice can also be planted in the mountain regions on rice terraces. With the dry, long and cold winter, rice cultivation has only one crop in a year that is enough to self-supply the locals’ daily life.
The best time to see the rice harvest season in a year
During the developed circle of rice, the harvest season is one of the most beautiful and peaceful sceneries you must see once in a lifetime. There are two harvest seasons in a year including May – June and mid-September – early October so it can be appropriate for almost all preferences and needs. If you want to see the gold paddy fields at the end of spring, the Central and the South are the best places for you. Additionally, the North region with cool weather in the autumn is the perfect paradise for trekking lovers.
Top 5 attractions to have the perfect experience in the rice harvest season
From the North to the South, with the diversity of climate, there are many places where you can have breathtaking scenery to see the rice harvest season. The next part of this blog will give you the top 5 unique attractions to take a view of beautiful gold rice paddy fields.
Tam Coc (Ninh Binh)
One of the most famous places to see the best rice harvest season is in Tam Coc – Bich Dong in Ninh Binh Province which has Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex – the UNESCO’s world cultural and natural heritage. Located about 100 km to the South of Hanoi, Tam Coc is a peaceful place for a day trip from the hustle and bustle capital city.
Tam Coc – Bich Dong is considered “Ha Long Bay on land” with a majestic system of caves, limestone mountains and beautiful wet rice fields. With the comfortable weather during the year, this attraction attracts many visitors both from the Vietnamese and other countries to visit the sightseeing. Especially, the period from the end of May to the beginning of June is the best time to enjoy the golden color of the ripe rice here. If you want to explore this unique attraction, we highly recommend you take a paddling boat tour cruising along with the tranquil gold rice paddy fields, charming water caves and romantic river. You will never regret it!
Bac Son Valley (Lang Son)
Bac Son Valley in Lang Son Province is also one of the most popular places to enjoy the unique beauty and the fragrance of ripe rice in the harvest season. Surrounded by rocky mountains, this attraction is home to 6 ethnic groups with diverse deeply rooted cultures and traditions.
The most interesting feature about Bac Son Valley is its incredibly high mountains which are about no more than 1200 meters high. Moreover, with the advantage of its flat surface, climate and rich soil, this is the perfect place to plant rice and other crops. The golden rice fields in Bac Son will happen around the end of July and mid-November of the Lunar Calendar. If you want to see the enchanting pictures of these mountains, golden valley’s paddy fields with the poetic river running across, Bac Son Valley is the perfect choice for you!
Sapa (Lao Cai)
Sitting at the heights of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, Sapa is famous for its spectacular rice terraces, fresh valleys and majestic mountains lying side by side. Established as a hill station by the French colonialists in 1922, Sapa becomes the tourism center of the northwest today. Coming to Sapa, visitors can explore a variety of activities including exploring mountains and waterfalls, watching a sunset at O Quy Ho Pass or experiencing the daily life of local people. In Particular, taking a view of rice paddy fields during the harvest season is one of the most common activities that can attract more and more visitors traveling to Sapa.
If you are planning to visit Sapa, the best time to come here is in September and October when the rice terraces are at their most beautiful. At this time, the weather is very comfortable, cool, and dry, with sunshine almost every day and a clear sky.
To see the golden rice terrace fields, some of the best tourist attractions are Muong Hoa Valley or Fansipan Mountain. So, how to catch the best sights in these attractions? The higher you go, the more mysterious the rice terraces become because of the high density of clouds. There are some activities you can try to see the poetic terraced fields such as taking the Fansipan Cable Car, catching the Sapa mountain climbing train or booking a Sapa hill tribe tour.
Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang)
Located about 100km from the capital city of Ha Giang, Hoang Su Phi is one of the most unspoiled Vietnamese provinces with fantastic mountain ranges and impressive landscapes of rice terraces. Hoang Su Phi is known not only as the first place to receive sunlight in Vietnam but also the harvesting time of this province is a little bit later compared to other attractions. As a result, travelers often visit this place as the final stop for their trip of exploring Northwest Vietnam.
The main characteristics of Hoang Su Phi are the wild and mountainous regions with the rugged road and the large two steps of the terraced fields. All of these unique features created poetic and picturesque natural beauty for the rough land. The best time to catch the best view of golden terraced fields here is in mid-September when the weather is cool and cloudy. Coming to Hoang Su Phi at that time, you will have a chance to see the happiness in the ripe rice field with some coats and the melodious sound of the streams that can excite you at the first sight!
Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa)
Pu Luong limestone landscape attracts visitors to the fresh forest, magnificent rice terraces and fantastic scenery. The charming beauty of Pu Luong is created by the ripened rice covering stepped-like mountainous slopes along with the happiness of local peoples harvesting their food.
The rice harvest season in Pu Luong is from February until May or from September to November with the spectacular multi-layer terraced fields turning yellowish. During the early summer, the weather is not too hot so there are endless things to do from taking a view of golden rice fields to hiking, trekking or relaxing in an enchanting rustic lodge. Additionally, it is also best to travel to Pu Luong in the last days of May and early June when all of the fields wear a layer of green, looking all fresh and tranquil.
With the picturesque view of golden rice terraced fields, the sound of singing birds and babbling brooks meandering down through low hills. Pu Luong is a truly good getaway for those who want to have some relaxing time without the hustle and bustle of city life.
CONCLUSION:
Each country has a different symbolic flora species. The cherry blossoms represent Japan. Thinking about the Netherlands, people often talk about the tulip flower. Sunflowers are famous in Russia and the peony season attracts visitors to go to China. Talking about the S-shaped country with the diverse culture and the wet rice cultivation like Vietnam, one of the most romantic and breathtaking pictures is the rice harvest season in Vietnam. If you are looking for a new and unique experience for the summer holiday, seeing the gold rice paddy fields from the delta to the mountainous area in Vietnam is the appropriate option for you.
