The highlight of the journey is Bản Phùng, a place famously described as having "golden silk ribbons draped across the sky". The name of this locality means "meeting place," and indeed, it is where heaven and earth, natural scenery, and people converge.
From Anh Cảm’s Trọng Phú Homestay, you can cast your eyes upon the ribbons of layered terraced fields, especially the village's most beautiful horseshoe-shaped rice paddy. The golden glow of the autumn sun and the crisp cold of the Northern mountains further accentuate the beauty of this place.
Do not miss the Vinh Quang Fair Market if you visit Hoàng Su Phì on a Sunday. The fair market is where the cultural essence of 14 ethnic minority groups converges.
At the break of dawn, streams of people have already traversed the thick layer of fog to reach the center. The market buzzes with the diversity of attire and merchandise:
Colors: The warm red hues of the Dao people, the somber indigo of the Tày and Nùng, alongside the vibrant clothing of the H’Mông.
Activities: A place for exchanging produce and handicrafts.
Vinh Quang Fair Market - Collection
The market is not merely a place for buying and selling, but also a space for culture and intimate sharing. When the market disperses, the locals quietly return home with cheerful expressions, having satisfied the pleasure of attending the market and meeting others.
To visit Hoàng Su Phì during the ripe rice season is to immerse yourself in the bustling atmosphere of harvest time.
The Harvesting Process and Local Delicacies
All stages, from harvesting the rice, threshing, drying, to hulling it into grains, are done by hand, showcasing the hardship and diligence of the people who live amidst the sky and the mountains. You can step down into the field and listen to the elders recount the custom of land reclamation, and the efforts involved in building embankments to retain water.
The Threshing Process - Collection
In the evening, don't forget to enjoy the stomach-warming corn wine and fresh field carp dish. Anh Cảm (the Homestay owner) spoke about the custom of releasing carp practiced by the La Chí people: the fish are released into the fields when rice planting begins, where they eat insects and fallen rice grains, and are harvested around the same time the rice ripens (about a week before the harvest).
A Peaceful Early Morning Moment
Waking up at 5 a.m., despite the cold, you will be treated to a handful of hot sticky rice and a cup of coffee, sitting and watching the clouds linger over the mountains.
Kitchen smoke slowly rises above the yin-yang tiled roofs, and children carry their books, crossing the fields on their way to school. The image of fathers and mothers attending to the farm work unfolds.
Although one might be captivated by the winding mountain passes and the magnificent scenery, the thing that most endears travelers is the pure, innocent smiles of the highland children.
They run fast, eagerly greeting strangers, and enthusiastically lead the way. Even though their Kinh language skills are not fluent, the children still play their rice-stem trumpets, making a "to ti te" sound, and clasp onto visitors' hands. Just a few simple moments like these are enough to kindle genuine affection.
Farewell to Bản Phùng and the terraced fields reaching up to the "peak of the sky." Stop by the Cổng Trời (Heaven's Gate) Pass to gaze at the entire landscape of Hoàng Su Phì, where the streaks of autumn sunlight illuminate the valley, adding the final brushstroke to this exquisite masterpiece of nature and humanity.
Are you ready for this golden season cloud-hunting journey?
If you have the chance to travel to Hà Giang, don't miss this wonderful destination! Homelandtourist.com hopes you will have the most beautiful moments in Hoàng Su Phì.
