Mu Cang Chai terraced paddies are in form of glittering ponds before locals transplant rice seedlings. The so-called "rising water"period often takes place in April and May (Photo: VNA) Yen Bai (VNA) – Aparagliding festival is scheduled to take place from May 18-20 on Khau Pha mountain pass in MuCang Chai district of the northwestern province of Yen Bai.
The festival, themed “Flying overrising water on terraced paddies”, will draw the participation of about 70domestic and foreign pilots.
The pilots will join 100 flightsfor visitors wanting to see the landscapes from above.
The three-day event will be co-organisedby the Vietwings Hanoi Club and Yen Bai Department for Culture, Sports andTourism.
Khau Pha pass is one of thelongest mountain passes in Vietnam at more than 1,200 metres above sea level.
Mu Cang Chai has 500 hectares ofrice terraces in La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh communes, cultivated bythe H'mong people for centuries. The local terraces are among the 2,500hectares recognised as national heritage sites in 2007 by the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism.
The locality is about 1,000 metresabove sea level, making it impossible to adopt rice farming method from thedeltas. Local residents grow rice in terraced fields to prevent water flowingdownhill.
Terraced fields in Mu Cang Chaiare beautiful all year round. Visitors in March can see glittering ponds beforelocals transplant rice seedlings from April to May. After May, the hills arecovered in green until the fields start to turn yellow with ripe rice in earlySeptember. During the harvest in October, the golden rice fields stand outamidst green forests.-VNA
VNA
