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Terraced fields reflect nature’s palette in northern Vietnam’s flood season onset

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 11:57 GMT+7
Terraced fields reflect nature’s palette in northern Vietnam’s flood season onset
A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields in Lao Cai Province are resembling a vast mirror this rainy May, mirroring the hues of sunlight, clouds, and the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings, which marks the arrival of the flood season in the mountainous region of northern Vietnam

As the first rains of the flood season pour down from the mountains, torrents cascade, revitalizing the terraced fields of Vietnam's northwestern region.

They shed their dreary dry season cloak, welcoming the refreshing renewal.

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Situated between 1,500 and 2,000 meters above sea level, these terraced landscapes sprawl across hillsides and mountainsides.

In Y Ty Commune of Lao Cai Province’s Bat Xat District, the rains mark the period when highlanders diligently prepare for their sole rice crop of the year. 

They channel water from ravines to nurture the soil and sow seeds wherever the water flows.

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Traversing the extensive network of roads leading to this highland enclave, travelers can encounter expansive flooded fields, layered in tiers, reflecting the myriad hues of nature. 

A field mirrors the hues of nature in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A field mirrors the hues of nature in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Enthusiastic explorers often opt for a 70-kilometer motorbike odyssey from Lao Cai City, the capital of Lao Cai Province, through picturesque lands featuring waterfalls, majestic mountains, and expansive fields in Muong Hum, Sang Ma Xao, Y Ty, A Lu, and Ngai Thau Communes, as well as The Pa Valley.

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

The flood season typically draws to a close by the end of May, transitioning the terraced fields into verdant carpets adorned with sprouting seedlings and rice, heralding the arrival of the golden rice season around August.

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Clouds blanket terraced fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Clouds blanket terraced fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Clouds blanket terraced fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Clouds blanket terraced fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

Terraced fields are covered in the delicate green of freshly transplanted seedlings in A Lu Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

A bird’s-eye view of expansive flooded fields in Y Ty Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, May 2024. Photo: Nguyen Duy Hoang / Tuoi Tre

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