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S
ituated about 300 km north of
Hanoi in the northwest region
of Vietnam, Mu Cang Chai is
home to the Hmong and Thai
communities. At 1,000 meters above
sea level, the steep hills make it impos-
sible to grow rice in fields like those in
the delta. Thus, local residents grow
their rice in terraces. These fields lie
among rugged green mountain val-
leys and form some of Vietnam’s most
memorable scenery. During harvest-
ing season, the rice turns from green
to yellow, drawing droves of photog-
raphers and trekkers. The waterfall
season, from May to June, is also a
major attraction.
To escape the burning heat of Ha-
noi, I joined a journey to Mu Cang Chai
with Annam Travel. We passed through
stunning mountainous landscapes and
lower lying hills covered with green tea
plantations. Along the way north the
landscape alters as the mountains get
higher and more densely covered in
thick forest.
Our first stop was Nghia Lo, where
we ate lunch and walked through the
Muong Lo valley - land of the Thai peo-
ple. It is believed that there is a road
that leads the dead to ‘Muong Gioi’ (
heaven), right here and many Thai peo-
ple in Thailand recognise Muong Lo as
the land of their ancestors.
Next, we passed through two other
tribal communities, each with their own
traditions and customs. While Thai peo-
ple occupy the lowland near the bottom
of the valley, the Hmong live at a higher
elevation, where they grow corn and
dry rice. In between these two very dif-
ferent cultures live the Dao, who ben-
efit from combining the best farming
techniques of both.
We then continued the journey to
Tu Le town. The route to Tu Le is impos-
ing, with rocky peaks covered with mist
and white clouds, as well as mysterious
forests and mountains with terraced
fields. Along the zigzagging road half-
way up the mountain, we stopped at
the highest point of Hai Ba Chau to
enjoy the panorama of the Tu Le val-
ley. From above, the valley is attractive,
with dark brown roofs among the green
paddy fields which are hemmed in by
the three mountain ranges of Khau Pha,
Khau Song and Khau Than. Tu Le River
runs through the valley, its banks lined
with massive boulders.
The valleys of
MU CANG CHAI
North-western Mu Cang Chai is known for its
breathtaking terraced mountains and its waterfall
season.
Nguyen Duc
joins a trip to get her first
taste of the area with Annam Travel
timeout
22
The trademark terraces of the re-
gion are a magnet for
photographers