Photographer Thanh Mien - International impression from the beauty of terraced fields

Simple, persistent and passionate, photographer Thanh Mien has spent more than twelve years working with photography, in which he has a special affection for terraced fields. From rustic frames, he has brought the beauty of his homeland beyond the mountains and forests of the Northwest, reaching out to friends from all over the world, so that the world can know and love this land more.

Perhaps few people love terraced fields as much as this. For Thanh Mien, each ripe rice season, each cloud floating on the mountainside becomes a “golden moment”. He diligently follows each planting season, each soft curve of the stone steps, and then records them with his lens, sending his pride and passionate love.

In Thanh Mien’s photos, the terraced fields are beautiful, vivid and full of emotion. Sometimes they are as vast as the ocean waves, sometimes as brilliant as a golden silk ribbon, sometimes as simple as the figure of a farmer working hard in the fields. It is this multi-voice that makes each photo become a story, touching the viewer’s heart.

The work "Silver bracelet of the Mong people" by photographer Thanh Mien won the Gold Medal at the 2022 New World International Photo Contest

During his years of tirelessly traveling across the highlands, photographer Thanh Mien has built his own identity in capturing the beauty of terraced fields, not only to preserve them but also to tell stories, bringing the image of his homeland to the world .

Photographer Thanh Mien once shared: Each photo of terraced fields is my way of telling stories to domestic and international friends, about the land, the people, about pride, about the culture that needs to be preserved.

With the belief that each photo is a story, photographer Thanh Mien always creates new angles, finding places where few people set foot, so that the terraced fields appear both majestic and gentle.

From those small stories, terraced fields have stepped out into the world. In 2022, Thanh Mien's works "Silver Ring of the Mong People" and "New Ladder" won the Gold and Silver Medals at the New World International Photo Contest. In 2025, he continued to make his mark with the Bronze Prize at the Azerbaijan International Photo Contest.

Behind the medals is recognition: terraced fields are not only landscapes, but also cultural symbols of Lao Cai in particular and Vietnam in general, admired and respected by international friends.

Photographer Thanh Mien's works of terraced fields in different seasons

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thi - former Chairman of the Yen Bai Province Literature and Arts Association (before the merger): The terraced fields of Mu Cang Chai, Sa Pa... have been exploited by many artists, but Thanh Mien always has his own perspective. Light, composition and the color change of mist, sun, wind all combine to make his works both modern and retain the sacred national character.

Indeed, through those frames, people not only see the majestic land and sky, but also encounter the smiles, sweat, and the persistent life of the mountain people.

The terraced fields have found a devoted “storyteller”. Through the lens of photographer Thanh Mien, that beauty is not only preserved for today, but also reaches far and wide, becoming an international mark for the world to once again admire the beauty of the Northwest mountains and forests.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nghe-sy-nhiep-anh-thanh-mien-dau-an-quoc-te-tu-ve-dep-ruong-bac-thang-post882544.html