Every year, when the rice fields begin to turn yellow on the terraced fields, Lao Cai welcomes tens of thousands of tourists. From international tourists to families and young people in the country, everyone hopes to immerse themselves in the golden season in the great forest. Looking down from the Fansipan cable car, thousands of golden rice fields interspersed with houses, streams, and white clouds, create a picture that is both majestic and poetic.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, a tourist from Hanoi , shared: “I have been to many places, but nowhere has the landscape as magnificent as Lao Cai in the ripe rice season. This is truly a man-made wonder in the middle of the mountains and forests.”
According to the provincial tourism industry, on the occasion of the National Day holiday of September 2, 2025, Lao Cai recorded 227,898 visitors, an increase of 16% over the same period in 2024. Total revenue from tourism reached about 702 billion VND. Of which, Sa Pa took the lead with more than 109,000 visitors, room occupancy rate reached 95%. These numbers have affirmed the special appeal of the golden season for domestic and foreign tourists.
If in the past, the harvest season was simply about harvesting agricultural products, now it has opened a promising "tourism season". Hundreds of households in Tu Le, Pung Luong, Mu Cang Chai or Sa Pa have built and converted their houses into homestays, opening experiential services. Tourists can participate in harvesting rice, pounding green rice, cooking five-color sticky rice, enjoying corn wine, listening to Mong flutes, singing Then...
Ms. Giang Thi Sua, a resident of Mu Cang Chai commune, said excitedly: “Before, we only relied on a few fields, life was difficult. Now, thanks to tourists visiting during the rice harvest season, my family has more income from homestay, selling brocade and agricultural products.”
In particular, the story of Giang A De, born in 1989, a Mong ethnic in Pung Luong commune, is a vivid example of the resilience of the golden season. From nothing, after 6 years of starting a business, he established Hello Mu Cang Chai Trading and Tourism Company Limited.
Currently, the homestay's revenue reaches nearly 800 million VND/year with 8 bungalows, 1 homestay with 5 rooms and nearly 20 experiential activities such as: mountain climbing, paragliding, visiting villages, fishing, farming... Hello Mu Cang Chai also inspires and leads 40 Mong youths in many neighboring communes to participate in developing community tourism.
Mr. De shared: “What makes me happiest is that Hello Mu Cang Chai has inspired the Mong people in my hometown to participate in developing community tourism”. This is the first community tourism model in Pung Luong and the communes in the Mu Cang Chai Terraced Fields National Monument area.
Not only does it bring economic benefits, the golden season also honors the cultural values of the highland people. The method of creating terraced fields, traditional farming practices, harvest festivals… have created a unique identity.
However, the huge attraction also poses many challenges. At the peak of the golden season, some tourist areas are overloaded, roads are congested, litter is scattered, affecting the landscape and the environment. The spontaneous construction of tourist facilities also poses a potential risk of destroying the pristine beauty of the terraced fields.
Mr. Nong Viet Yen - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province emphasized: "The golden season is a natural and cultural treasure that the people of the highlands have preserved for generations. But if we only exploit it without planning and protection, this treasure will lose many of its inherent values. Developing golden season tourism must put long-term benefits first, ensuring harmony between economic growth, preserving identity and protecting the environment."
To do that, in addition to the efforts of the government, the role of the community is the decisive factor. The people are the ones who create and preserve the terraced fields. If they are equipped with knowledge about sustainable tourism, have service skills, and know how to promote typical products, the golden season will both preserve the traditional beauty and bring a stable livelihood.
Training courses on welcoming guests, protecting the environment, and developing OCOP products associated with community tourism have been actively deployed and implemented by localities and functional sectors, initially creating positive changes. Many young people in the highlands have boldly started businesses, bringing digital technology to promote, connect tours, and sell online. Thanks to that, golden season tourism does not only stop at the image of picturesque terraced fields but is also associated with the story of changing community life.
The province also focuses on enhancing cultural and tourism events associated with the ripe rice season such as: Terraced Field Discovery Festival, Tu Le Com Festival, rice harvesting and agricultural processing tours. Promotion on digital platforms and social networks helps the image of "Golden Season Lao Cai" spread strongly to international friends. This is a necessary step to turn the golden color of the ripe rice season into a unique tourism product with long-term competitiveness.
The terraced fields in the ripe rice season in Lao Cai are an invaluable resource for tourism development, raising the status of the highlands on the national and international map. This is not only a tourist season but also a cultural specialty brand of Lao Cai, affirming the unique identity and aspirations of the highland people.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/sac-vang-mua-lua-chin-tai-nguyen-vo-gia-cua-du-lich-lao-cai-post881589.html
![[Photo] Soldiers guard the fire and protect the forest](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/9/27/7cab6a2afcf543558a98f4d87e9aaf95)
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