In 2012, terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi of Ha Giang were recognized as one of the National Vestiges. The recognized area stretches across six wards named Ban Luoc, Sa San Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty, and Thong Nguyen.

In this mountainous area, a family’s house is always situated near their rice terraces. People build their houses on flatlands and terraces are created around the houses. When looking at a house positioned on a field, people can understand that the field belongs to the family living in that house.

Terraced fields lying around the owner’s house

To any groups, cultivation is always taken seriously. People maintain the forest at the peak in order to store and take advantages of water from the peak and only build rice terraces at the middle and bottom parts of hills. Terraces fields are very large, sometimes family members cannot take care of them alone. Relatives or even people in the same village will help each other with farm work. They help other people, and others help them, vice versa. Occasionally, you will encounter up to 30 people are all working on the same fields and finishing within one day. In the next days, they will move to help other families.

People are eager to help others with farm work

Unlike Kinh people growing rice twice in a year, minority groups in Hoang Su Phi just do once a year owing to severe winter that strongly prevents plants from developing. Therefore, in winter and spring, they usually grow corn and beans on terraces instead of rice. Rice transplant often start in June. Firstly, they will lead water from the peak of mountains to the terraces. Then they remove grass to transplant rice. Later they remove grass again for a couple of time. Till autumn or about in September, the harvest begins. People work hard to collect rice quickly. This is also the high season of tourism in Hoang Su Phi. Tourists flock into the district to see and take photos of endless golden terraced fields

Endless golden terraced fields in September

Though the history of terraced fields in groups is different, they themselves show their creativity and diligence. Leading water to high terraces and low ones, finding sources of water has proved the value accumulated experiences of their ancestors for centuries. By modest hoes and plows, they have been created charming terraces which surprise every single tourist coming. Terraced fields provide scenic views, spectacular pictures, a pure beauty of hills and mountains. Besides, throughout the rice seasons, there are lots of festivals held to pray for a successful harvest.

Rice terraces in the Northern provinces of Vietnam in general, and in Hoang Su Phi, in particular, have shown the long history and valuable cultivation experiences of those groups. The creation of terraced fields takes time and is passed down to fellow generations. Thus, the presence of the field has been a clear evidence for the long stay of these ethnic minorities.

 Nguyen T. Thao