lifestyle
M inh An
Rural beauty amid the clouds Y Ty, a mountainous commune in Lao Cai’s Bat Xat district, has become an attractive tourism destination in recent years thanks to its special beauty.
F
rom Lao Cai train station, 70km of snaking mountain roads brings you to a foggy land resting 2,000m above sea level. Clouds envelope the roads, villages and mountains, merging with the horizon. Visitors to this special place feel like they are entering a different world.
Terraced fields Many of Lao Cai’s towns and villages such as Sa Pa, Mu Cang Chai, Bac Ha and Muong Khuong are picture-worthy destinations. But Bat Xat stands out from them all due to its unusually high altitude and the magical sunsets that appear when the clouds part. Y Ty has become famous for its unique terraced fields made by the ethnic minority group Ha Nhi. The fields stretch over varying terrain, and the Ha Nhi people are experts at forming beautiful wide paddies that perfectly fit the valley curves and high mountain slopes.
Terraced fields rise and fall on the hills, creating a beautiful scene all year round. As locals transplant rice seedlings in May, visitors are treated to the sight of glittering ponds. Soon after, the hills are carpeted in green as the young rice plants spring up. The terraces climb up the valley like stairs to the sky, creating a mesmerising picture set against a backdrop of clouds in the vast expanse of sky. The sight has become a favourite shooting destination for both amateur and professional
26
B I D V review
